#	Pagina
attuale pagina	/open-h2020/projects/211655/results.html

Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HYBUILD (Innovative compact HYbrid electrical/thermal storage systems for low energy BUILDings)

Teaser

Summary

The push to integrate more renewable, variable and distributed energy sources into electricity grids and district heat networks has the potential to revolutionize our global energy system, but this approach poses a significant challenge in maintaining network stability. This makes the need for storage in the integration of sustainable resources in buildings, both for electricity sources (i.e. solar PV) and for thermal sources (i.e. district heat networks, solar thermal plants), well established. Unfortunately, residential storage systems are typically quite costly to implement, and there is a distinct lack of solutions that have the potential to address both electricity and heat demand in an efficient way.

To address this challenge, HYBUILD will develop two innovative hybrid storage concepts: one for the Mediterranean climate primarily meant for cooling energy provision, and one for the Continental climate primarily meant for heating and domestic hot water production. The project features four key components: a compact sorption storage, based on a patented way to integrate an innovative adsorbent material within an efficient high surface heat exchanger; a high density latent storage, based on a high performance aluminium micro-channel heat exchanger with additional phase-change material (PCM) layers, and an efficient electric storage; the balancing of thermal and electrical energy flows through seamless integration of the compressor inverter in a DC coupled system; and by efficient conversion and upgrading of electric surplus and renewable thermal energy sources by compression and adsorption heat pumps. The system will be designed in a compact way to easily allow for installation in existing and new buildings. These components will then be managed by an advanced control and building energy management system (BEMS) that can optimize the interactions between the components and the electrical and heat networks.

In this way, HYBUILD will seek to increase the seasonal performance of the heating and cooling systems, increase the thermal energy storage density and achieve superior building and energy system flexibility via an easy to integrate and compact solution for new or existing buildings. The system has expected energy and CO2 emissions reductions between 20 to 40% and a payback period of 8 to 15 years depending on the building configuration.

Work performed

The primary focus of the first stage of this project is to develop and integrate the components needed to operate the overall HYBUILD solution on the lab scale. To accomplish this, general definitions of the Continental and Mediterranean solutions were created and modelled in several potential European climates. Models of the demo sites have also been developed to perform validation testing later in the project.

Several technical advances have been made in relation to the components themselves. Several technical advances have been made in relation to the components themselves. First full-scale latent storage has been modelled (and added to the Modelica database), designed, manufactured, and is undergoing lab testing. The development of an innovative zeolite synthesized with aluminium foam has the potential to greatly improve the thermal energy storage density when deployed in the HYBUILD system. A method for identifying the SOC of the thermal storage system using temperature and pressure-based measurements has also been defined. Two different models of the Mediterranean heat pumps using this storage equipment were developed, one for direct connection in the refrigerant loop and one modelling the startup procedure using the standard evaporator and then reverting to the refrigerant-PCM-water heat exchanger (RPW-HEX). On the electrical side, a DC-based architecture was defined, including the AC/DC grid, interface converter, the PV module converters and the battery converter. Protection circuit architecture and mechanical design of the system was also developed.

Integration of these innovative components with the HYBUILD system as a whole is underway. Initial definitions of the operating modes and the high-level optimization that will manage both the thermal and electric sub-systems is completed. This includes definition and first use case testing of a reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm capable of managing the Mediterranean system.

In preparation for later stages of the project, pre-intervention monitoring of the three demosites is already underway. In addition, initial definitions of the KPIs, scenarios and critical parameters to be assessed in the post-intervention analysis has been made and included in the project deliverables.

In parallel to these activities, the dissemination, communication and exploitation plans of the project have been delivered. Their implementation has progressed according to the plan during this first period.

Final results

Claimed Impacts of the Project:
-Overall reduction in energy demands of 30% for an optimized and configured system
-Estimated reduction of primary energy by 44% and CO2 emissions by 37% annually due to greater integration of renewable and heat pump operation.
-Increased share of renewable integration and potential for self-consumption and flexibility provision
-Return on investment of 8 years for non-district heating connected buildings, and 15 years for others.
-Extended solution life time for the PCM (at least 20 years)

Expected Results of the HYBUILD Project:
-Integrated hybrid storage and heatpump systems that optimize thermal and electricity flows, maximize use of free renewable energy, provide flexibility services to more efficiently meet either cooling demands or heating and DHW demands.
-DC bus controller solution ideal for interconnection with PV systems
-DC powered inverter for an air/water heat pump enabling optimal integration in the internal DC distribution network
-Innovative adsorber system with highly cost-effective porous aluminium heat exchangers
-Reduced space requirements of 500% compared to sensible storage
-Increased heat transfer in heat exchanges
-Significant peak load reduction in HVAC systems
-CSH collectors that maintain constant temperature at low radiation
-Innovative solutions for smart BEMS systems, combining optimization techniques for thermal and electric systems
-New design methodology for smart BEMS
-Consulting offer for designers, engineers, planners
-Adapted stainless-steel water storage