Assessing the Effectiveness of an Innovative Thermal Energy Storage System Installed in a Building in a Moderate Continental Climatic Zone

Luis Coelho, Maria K. Koukou (), John Konstantaras, Michail Gr. Vrachopoulos, Amandio Rebola, Anastasia Benou, Constantine Karytsas, Pavlos Tourou, Constantinos Sourkounis, Heiko Gaich and Johan Goldbrunner
Additional contact information
Luis Coelho: MARE—IPS—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Escola Superior de Tecnologia, Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Campus do IPS—Estefanilha, 2910-761 Setúbal, Portugal
Maria K. Koukou: Energy and Environmental Research Laboratory, Evripus Campus, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 34400 Psachna, Evia, Greece
John Konstantaras: Energy and Environmental Research Laboratory, Evripus Campus, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 34400 Psachna, Evia, Greece
Michail Gr. Vrachopoulos: Energy and Environmental Research Laboratory, Evripus Campus, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 34400 Psachna, Evia, Greece
Amandio Rebola: MARE—IPS—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Escola Superior de Tecnologia, Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Campus do IPS—Estefanilha, 2910-761 Setúbal, Portugal
Anastasia Benou: Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES), Marathonos 19th Km, 19009 Pikermi, Greece
Constantine Karytsas: Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES), Marathonos 19th Km, 19009 Pikermi, Greece
Pavlos Tourou: Institute for Power Systems Technology and Power Mechatronics, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
Constantinos Sourkounis: Institute for Power Systems Technology and Power Mechatronics, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
Heiko Gaich: Geoteam Technisches Buro fur Hydrogeologie, Geothermie und Umwelt GMBH, Bahnhofguertel 77/4, 8020 Graz, Austria
Johan Goldbrunner: Geoteam Technisches Buro fur Hydrogeologie, Geothermie und Umwelt GMBH, Bahnhofguertel 77/4, 8020 Graz, Austria

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: In the present work, the operating results from an innovative, renewable, energy-based space-heating and domestic hot water (DHW) system are shown. The system used solar thermal energy as its primary source and was assisted by a shallow geothermal application in order to accommodate the space-heating and DHW needs of a domestic building in Austria. The system incorporated phase-change materials (PCMs) in specially designed containers to function as heat-storage modules and provide an energy storage capability for both the space-heating and DHW subsystems. This system was designed, implemented, and tested under real operating conditions in a building for a period of one year. The operating and energy results for the system are demonstrated in this work. The system was compared with a conventional one, and a reduction in the primary energy consumption equal to 84.3% was achieved. The maintenance and operating costs of the system were reduced by 79.7% compared to the conventional system, thus significantly contributing to the NZEB target of the building. The newly proposed system, although presenting an increased operating complexity, utilizes an innovative self-learning control system that manages all of its operations. The combination of a solar thermal energy source with thermal energy storage increases the use of renewable energy by extending the capacity of the system beyond the solar hours and using excess solar energy for space-heating needs. The thermal energy storage unit also increases the energy and economic efficiency of the geothermal heat pump by operating it during the hours of a reduced electricity tariff and using the stored energy during hours of a high electricity demand. The cost for the installation of such a system is higher than a conventional one, but due to the significantly decreased operating costs, the pay-back period was calculated to be 8.7 years.

Keywords: thermal energy storage; solar; geothermal; phase-change materials; space heating; domestic hot water (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: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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