Motivation
The energy policy guidelines of the German government will lead to significant performance surpluses from renewable electricity generation for limited periods of time in the future. There is no doubt, that the use of energy storages to secure the energy supply is necessary, because of an increasingly volatile electricity supply. For this purpose, different storage technologies will be used together.
The use of electrical energy for residential space heating using heat pumps and buffer storage is a proven technology. The aim of this research project is to clarify the possibilities of using thermal energy storages and the storage capacity of buildings to support the demand-side management in the electricity power supply. The expectation is, that surplus energy can be saved efficiently at comparatively low costs by a suitable design of the facilities.
Task
On the basis of a technology and potential analysis, the available thermal storage volume, the resulting controllable electrical load, the time period T by which these loads can be shifted in time and the available storage content on the electrical side, as well as the energy efficiency will be investigated. The focus on small, decentralized systems in existing buildings is based on the goal, to be quickly able to achieve a significant potential in the context of small construction activities.
Apart from the technical feasibility, particular the economy should be considered from the perspective of private investors. In this context, the benefits and limitations of time-varying electricity tariffs for a current-controlled heat generation and heat storage will be determined. A practical test, even the use of time-varying tariffs will be aimed.
Method
A potential analysis of existing buildings and the thermal energy requirements is performed through the example of the transnational metropolitan region Rhine-Neckar (MRN). Based on these data, simulations of the heat requirement and the storage behavior of the building as well as the additionally introduced buffer storage will be done and the results technically and economically evaluated. Criteria for the overall economic optimal design of the heat pumps and thermal storages will be deducted from the simulations.
The theoretical findings are verified afterwards, using selected pilot projects. The results will be evaluated by the participating industry partners and developed further.
Publicly founded joint venture
"ThermSpe4EE" is a joint venture and is funded under the initiative "Sustainable power grids", which is part of the 6th Energy Research Program of the Federal Government.
Apart from the Chair for Energy Systems and Energy Management at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, the following project partners are involved:
· Pfalzwerke Aktiengesellschaft
· geomer GmbH
· ait-deutschland
· Chair for House Cybernetics, TU Kaiserslautern
· Department of Concrete Structures and Structural Engineering, TU Kaiserslautern
