Compact bio-based thermal energy storage for buildings

Electricity consumption in residential buildings represents a major concern for EU energy management. Hot tap water, space heating and cooling are thermal end-uses that consume the major part of electricity. The first is offered all year round and can be stored. The other two are seasonal and cannot be stored. There is a need for thermal energy storage (TES) that can be used for heating and cooling to significantly reduce electricity consumption. The EU-funded ComBioTES project proposes a TES solution that will permit considerable savings in residential electricity. The project intends to test and develop the technology for manufacturing and commercialisation.

Objective

Thermal end-uses (space heating, hot tap water, cooling) represent a major part of electricity consumption in Europe and cause consumption peaks, often when electricity is expensive.

Hot tap water is the only thermal end-use provided as a base load over a year and that is stored. Space heating and air conditioning are seasonal thermal end-uses with a high residential electricity consumption. They are not stored at the buildings scale to allow peak shaving of the residential electricity consumption. These statements show the interest to develop appropriate thermal energy storages, suitable for buildings, to reduce the electricity bill of end-users. ComBioTES will thus develop a modular compact thermal energy storage (TES) solution for heating, hot tap water and cooling fully adapted for electricity load shifting.

A first modular TES will be able to store hot tap water to be converted into ice storage during summer (cooling needs). A second compact latent TES, using high performances (ΔH≈260kJ/kg) bio-based non-aggressive PCM, will store high heating energy amount, for space heating or hot tap water demands. As thermal end-uses in buildings are different regarding seasonal needs, this concept combines the advantage of a modular TES (high utilization rate) with the high volumetric energy density of a latent TES using a bio-based PCM (high compactness: ≥ 100kWh/m3 ΔT=50°C).
The ComBioTES consortium and associated External Advisory Board (Idex, Danfoss and Passive House) involve all relevant key players in energy storage and management: RTOs for development and testing infrastructure and SMEs for manufacturing & commercialization of the technology, and representative of potential customers and end users (building owners &operators). In line with IC7, two partners from CHINA (The Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and The Henan Province GuoanHeating Equipment Co., LTD) will promote the ComBioTES concept in this country.

Partners: 

• COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
• ROQUETTE FRERES SA
• H.M. HEIZKORPER GMBH & CO KG
• DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET
• EC BREC INSTYTUT ENERGETYKI ODNAWIALNEJ SP ZOO
• TECHNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS LTD
• WARMTEBEDRIJF EXPLOITATIE NV
• VOLTALIS SA
• INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
• AMIRES SRO

Start date: 1/11/2019 - End date: 31/10/2023