Page 47 - European Energy Innovation - summer 2018 publication

Summer 2018 European Energy Innovation 47

COMMUNICATION

New developments in thermal energy storage for
buildings, European Project TESSe2b

The TESSe2b project is a European project, funded at
€4.3 million under the Horizon 2020 program, which
began in October 2015 and lasts 4 years (www.tesse2b.eu).
The consortium consists of five higher education
institutions, one research center and three SME and
a non-profit organization, from from 8 countries,
Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Austria, Germany,
Poland and the United Kingdom. The project is
coordinated by the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal
(IPS, Prof. Luis Coelho).

The main objective of the project is to design, develop Another innovation is the use of the paraffins in the
and demonstrate a modular and low cost system of boreholes heat exchangers (BHEx), mixed with the
thermal storage technology based on solar collectors grout material, in an encapsulated form. The objective
and efficient heat pumps for heating, cooling and hot is to increase of the temperature stability of the BHEx,
water production (DHW) contributing to the increase increasing the efficiency of the geothermal heat pump.
the share of renewables and to the flexibility of the
electricity grid. An intelligent control and self-learning system is also
being developed in order to take full advantage of the
This project is expected to find a solution to reduce potential of the proposed thermal system.
energy consumption in homes by up to 30% for
heating, cooling and DHW production, with consequent In the last year of the project, the TESSe2b system will
reductions in energy billing for the final consumer, with be demonstrated and validated on a real scale in three
a simple period of return of the initial investment in houses, Austria, Cyprus and Spain, with the objective of
about 8 to 9 years. covering three different climates.

The storage thermal energy will be carried out at
three temperature levels for cooling, heating and DHW
production.

Suitable Phase Change Materials (PCMs) were selected The current phase of the project is finalizing the pre-
for each application, using two types of PCMs, organic prototype tests, the results achieved are promising,
(paraffins) and hydrated salts, comparing their successfully reaching the proposed objectives.
performance in each application.
After completing the project, the consortium intends
The tanks filled with PCMs have some particularities, to commercialize the system, through possible
namely the fact that they are modular, in order to allow partnerships with companies outside the consortium.
them to be easily adapted in terms of capacity, climate
conditions and easy assembled in existing buildings. This project has received funding from the European
Another peculiarity has to do with the development of heat Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation
exchangers (HEx) inside these tanks, immersed in PCM. programme, grant agreement No 680555.

Some problems have been solved such as the This article reflects only the author‘s view and the
incompatibility between paraffin-type PCMs and European Commission is not responsible for any use
thermoplastic-based tank walls through a protective that may be made of the information it contains. l
Map: ©GInrtaeprhreiccgsoB: ©aalSttiiDcnUSgeN,aatRnheoegSiYolDnow thermal conductivity of the paraffins
through the use of nanoparticles (nano-composite Contact Project Coordinator:
enhanced paraffin, NEPCM) or the use of an adequate information Name: Luis Coelho
geometry of HEx tubes and fins and a protection of the Email: luis.coelho@estsetubal.ips.pt
HEx metal parts from the corrosion of hydrated salts Phone: +351 265 790 000
through a protective film.

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