This presentation describes the long-term project by Gothenburg Energy on how to go ahead with short-term storage in buildings. Ten residential buildings of different types in all parts of Gothenburg were studied for one year. Both measurements and simulations were performed. The original idea was supported by a report, and the results have been confirmed in a PhD thesis.
How much does the temperature in the house change when we only rely on stored energy from the building mass, furniture, and from excess energy from the fridge, freezer, TV, lights etc, and not on separate heating? Will there be a small enough temperature drop to maintain an acceptable temperature indoors? If so, we may be able to “borrow” heating from the house, and thus not have to use fossil fuels for peak production during cold days thereby reducing the fossil CO2 emissions. The heat is “paid back” by the heating system during days when it is not so cold.
Some of the questions that are answered in this webinar are how the possibilities depend on the type and the size of the house, the outdoor temperature and the time heating is off. One conclusion is that when the outdoor temperature changed (lowered by 7 degrees Celsius or more), no major changes in the room temperature could be detected.
The overall conclusions are that thermal energy storage in buildings is both technically possible and economically profitable, but unfortunately there is a lack of solid business models as support.
Peter Hultén, Development Engineer, Göteborg Energi
Date of webinar
June 2015