Identifying promising use cases for a novel heat battery in Dutch residential buildings

Abstract

Owing to the recent breakthrough in thermochemical storage technology, a novel closed-loop thermal energy storage (TES) system, the heat battery (HB), has been introduced. With higher energy density and no storage loss, this system is believed to have a greater potential of helping the energy transition in the built environment compared to other conventional TES systems. To identify the most promising use case of the HB, this research proposes a simulation approach to predict and assess how the HB will influence the performance of Dutch residential buildings. Based on a literature review and discussions with developers of the HB, a list of potential use cases is defined and the most important stakeholders are identified (homeowner, distribution system operator, and district heating system operator). Next, the simulation approach was conducted. The results show that the HB has the potential of both reducing the operational energy cost for the homeowner and reducing the peak heating load from the building to the district heating system.