The Potential of Utilizing Buildings’ Foundations as Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Units from Solar Plate Collectors

Lazaros Aresti, Paul Christodoulides, Gregoris P. Panayiotou and Georgios Florides
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Lazaros Aresti: Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, P.O. Box 50329, Limassol 3603, Cyprus
Paul Christodoulides: Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Cyprus University of Technology, P.O. Box 50329, Limassol 3603, Cyprus
Gregoris P. Panayiotou: Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Cyprus University of Technology, P.O. Box 50329, Limassol 3603, Cyprus
Georgios Florides: Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Cyprus University of Technology, P.O. Box 50329, Limassol 3603, Cyprus

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: Underfloor heating systems provide comfort due to the natural heat flow distribution by a network of pipes, conventionally connected to a heat pump operating at low temperatures. To this extent, a renewable energy source could be an alternative solution. Acting as a case to investigate such systems, the Mediterranean island of Cyprus with a plethora of sunny days points to solar energy as the obvious solution. In this study, solar collector systems are recruited to supply the required heat for a typical Cypriot house, with the building’s foundation acting as a thermal energy system (TES) unit. The heat supply to the building can then be distributed with natural convection from the TES. The solar collectors and the building’s foundation system are studied with the aid of two software programs, namely TRNSYS and COMSOL Multiphysics. The former is used for the calculation of the heating and cooling load of the house as well as to estimate the energy provided by the flat plate solar collectors at specific conditions. The latter is then used to examine the TES unit with the heat gain/loss of the building. The obtained results, including analyses on the solar collectors’ area and the foundation thickness indicate that the suggested system would be able to sufficiently cover, partially or fully, the building’s heating load.

Keywords: thermal energy storage (TES); building foundation TES; solar collectors; building heating load; COMSOL Multiphysics; TRNSYS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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