Comparative Analysis of Battery and Thermal Energy Storage for Residential Photovoltaic Heat Pump Systems in Building Electrification

Mingzhe Liu, Wei-An Chen (), Yuan Gao and Zehuan Hu
Additional contact information
Mingzhe Liu: Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-0200, USA
Wei-An Chen: Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-0200, USA
Yuan Gao: The Center for Energy Systems Design (CESD), International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
Zehuan Hu: Department of Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-25

Abstract: Buildings with electrified heat pump systems, onsite photovoltaic (PV) generation, and energy storage offer strong potential for demand flexibility. This study compares two storage configurations, thermal energy storage (TES) and battery energy storage (BESS), to evaluate their impact on cooling performance and cost savings. A Model Predictive Control (MPC) framework was developed to optimize system operations, aiming to minimize costs while maintaining occupant comfort. Results show that both configurations achieve substantial savings relative to a baseline. The TES system reduces daily operating costs by about 50%, while the BESS nearly eliminates them (over 90% reduction) and cuts grid electricity use by more than 65%. The BESS achieves superior performance because it can serve both the controllable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and the home’s broader electrical loads, thereby maximizing PV self-consumption. In contrast, the TES primarily influences the thermal load. These findings highlight that the choice between thermal and electrical storage greatly affects system outcomes. While the BESS provides a more comprehensive solution for whole-home energy management by addressing all electrical demands, further techno-economic evaluation is needed to assess the long-term feasibility and trade-offs of each configuration.

Keywords: heat pump; thermal energy storage; battery energy storage; energy flexibility; model predictive control; demand-side management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/21/9497/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/21/9497/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:21:p:9497-:d:1779516

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().