Culture is increasingly recognised as shaping public perceptions of energy technologies, yet its role in geothermal energy development remains poorly understood. This systematic review examines how culture is conceptualised, operationalised and studied in geothermal energy research to understand its influence on public perceptions and project development. Two research questions guide the structure of the review: how culture is defined, delineated and studied in geothermal energy contexts, and what empirical insights exist regarding culture's influence on public perceptions. Analysis of 29 peer-reviewed papers shows that culture is broadly described rather than analytically operationalised, with limited definitional consensus. Through thematic analysis, the empirical papers reveal two pathways through which culture shapes perceptions of geothermal projects. The culture-driven pathway highlights how pre-existing cultural frameworks shape perceptions through experiences of the underground, place-based identities, governance traditions, and historical experiences. The project-driven pathway illustrates how geothermal developments impact and transform culture through identity erosion, new cultural practices, and trade-offs between economic benefits and cultural preservation. The findings challenge the view that culture is a barrier, demonstrating that it can support energy transitions. Critical research gaps include the need for systematic frameworks to measure local culture, a cross-regional comparison of the influence of local culture on communities' perceptions of energy projects and how project developers' cultural assumptions shape energy projects. These insights can inform culturally sensitive community engagement for just energy transitions.

High technical and economic risks stemming from the lack of detailed knowledge of the subsurface hold back large-scale investments in geothermal energy. In a survey conducted on nine use cases from diverse geological settings across Europe and with different purposes (electricity/heating and cooling) and project objectives (scientific/commercial), we identify the “common practice” and the aspiration for the “state of the art” in geothermal exploration. For each use case, the survey investigates what workflows have been adopted and what data acquired by which methods at different stages of exploration. This provided a benchmark for exploration in a range geothermal play types. The survey shows that this industry-standard base-case can be adapted to improve exploration success and efficiency by (1) applying numerical modelling in early stages of exploration to guide strategic data collection, (2) novel application of innovative technologies and (3) closer integration of software tools for static geological interpretation and dynamic heat flow simulation.

To enable reliable exploration strategies for geothermal energy that have inherently lower economic and technical risks and hence increase public support, the multi-national, multi-disciplinary, and publicly funded FindHeat project is developing a novel, conceptual model-based geothermal exploration workflow. This workflow specifically focuses on faster turnaround times for exploration and appraisal of geothermal resources, making better use of legacy data and non-invasive geophysical techniques, and constraining uncertainties with respect to the size of the heat source and the range of possible heat production rates. Comprehensive social science research complements the technical work to set the foundation for new communication strategies that allow geothermal operators to earn the public trust that improved geothermal exploration and appraisal will lead to a more efficient and sustainable exploitation of geothermal energy. The workflow is being tested and validated at eight geologically diverse geothermal plays situated in Iceland, France, UK, Spain, and Netherlands, which allows us to demonstrate its economic and technical benefits as well as its societal impact.