Current thermal response tests, used to estimate the subsurface thermal conductivity in the geothermal domain, are not designed to take into account groundwater flows. To measure the flow parameters, a new concept has been developed. Heating cables are installed within a borehole in contact to the formation, with three temperature probes strategically located at the edge of the borehole. Study of the evolution of temperature for each probe during both a heat injection phase and a recovery period allows determining ground thermal conductivity, groundwater flow velocity and orientation. Numerical simulations have been used to validate the proposed concept and establish its limits. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.