A Simulation of a Sustainable Plus-Energy House in Poland Equipped with a Photovoltaic Powered Seasonal Thermal Storage System

Abstract

This article describes the innovative photovoltaic powered seasonal thermal storage—PVPSTS system. It was used in the design of a plus-energy detached single-family house with a usable area of 98 m2. This area meets the requirements of the latest building regulations in Poland. The building, with the innovative HVAC installation, was subjected to energy analysis, and a numerical model was also developed. The model was tested based on TMY data for the location of Wroclaw, Poland. Analysis of the results allowed the authors to learn the specifics of the operation of the system throughout the year and to also define its efficiency. The required size of the storage stack was determined to be 1.6 × 1.6 × 0.3 m. The photovoltaic installation, which was integrated with the roof, can produce 48 GJ of electricity per year. This is five to six times more than the building’s heating needs, and any excess energy can be exported to the power grid.

Energy, Volume and Cost Analyses of High Temperature Seasonal Thermal Storage for Plus Energy House

“…The authors, in their previous publication [19], presented the concept of an energysaving plus-energy house in Poland, which operated on the basis of the innovative concept of the HVAC-Photovoltaic Powered Seasonal Thermal Storage (HVAC-PVPSTS) system (see Figure 1a). The proposed single-family house was equipped with a set of 39 photovoltaic panels (Figure 1b) that produced electricity.…”

“…The energy analyses implemented by the authors in their previous publication [19] were carried out with many assumptions, including the maximum temperature of the bed being 600 • C and the filling of the storage stack being high-temperature resistant magnesia blocks. However, it is not certain whether the adopted assumptions allowed the authors to obtain optimal results.…”

“…In the previous publication [19], the authors described the construction and operation of a mathematical model that was used to assess the energy processes that occur in the analyzed single-family house. This model takes into account the following aspects: heat flow through the walls, windows, doors, floor and roof of the building; solar radiation gains through the windows; and ventilation with the use of a heat recovery unit.…”

Architectural, Civil, and Infrastructure Engineering in View of Sustainability: Editor’s Comment

“…Group (A) Energy-is exceptional, unique, and has considerable potential for development because the topic of energy comes up in almost each of the fourteen articles. Kasperski et al [3] present a plus energy building, introduce The innovative HVAC installation, and experiment with a seasonal heat storage system. This is the result of cooperation between power engineers and architects.…”

“…This group also includes articles discussed in the previous groups. Within group (A) Energy-designing plus energy house [3] and the cable-stayed bridge model construction [5] were discussed. Within group (B) Economy-Bio-Morpheme complex design [8], marketplace variants [9], design and testing of steel cubic modules [10] are presented.…”