Large-scale solar energy cross-season heat storage heating

How can cross-seasonal thermal storage improve solar energy utilization?

As heat storage volume increases, hot water preparation costs and heat loss per unit volume decrease. Thus, developing large-scale cross-seasonal thermal storage systems is an effective solution to improve the thermal efficiency and solar energy utilization of solar heating systems.

What is seasonal/long-term heat storage?

The concept of seasonal/long-term heat storage presents great opportunities for making the utmost use of solar energy. Stored “excess” heat can compensate for the heat shortage when necessary. Seasonal storage offers the possibility that solar energy can cover all the heating loads without an extra heating system.

Can solar thermal energy be used for cross-seasonal heating?

The increase in the tank temperature at the end of the heating period was beneficial for shortening the duration of the heat storage period for the following year. The feasibility of utilizing solar thermal energy and cascaded phase change heat storage for cross-seasonal heating has been demonstrated in this study.

What is seasonal thermal energy storage?

The interest in large-scale seasonal thermal energy storage started with the oil crisis in the early seventies. At the beginning of seasonal storage research the long-term aim was to store solar heat from the summer to the winter primarily for space heating. Industrial waste heat was another heat source of great potential.

Why is cross-seasonal heat storage important?

The mismatch between solar radiation resources and building heating demand on a seasonal scale makes cross-seasonal heat storage a crucial technology, especially for plateau areas. Utilizing phase change materials with high energy density and stable heat output effectively improves energy storage efficiency.

What are heat storage methods for solar-driven cross-seasonal heating?

Heat storage methods for solar-driven cross-seasonal heating include tank thermal energy storage (TTES), pit thermal energy storage (PTES), borehole thermal energy storage (BTES), and aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) 14, 15, 16. As heat storage volume increases, hot water preparation costs and heat loss per unit volume decrease.