The manual provides the fundamentals such as the thermal regime of the Earth, near-surface geology, geological-geophysical basics, underlying mathematical methods, risk management, and drilling techniques. The applied chapters specifically address geothermal projects from the perspective of a builder, including heating load calculations and hydraulic balancing, as well as project management, environmental considerations, financing and funding opportunities, and the sizing of systems. It also covers process engineering fundamentals, machine technology, quality assurance, and issues of communication and acceptance, as well as occupational safety and health protection. Although the focus of the manual is on Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, it also addresses the near-surface geothermal industry worldwide.