Modelling and Experimental Evaluation of a Sand-Based Seasonal Storage System

Abstract

In 2016, space heating (SH) and domestic hot water (DHW) heating for Canadian residential buildings accounted for 11% of Canada's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To drastically decrease the GHG emissions from the residential sector, solar thermal energy can be used to fulfill the SH and DHW needs of residential buildings.A major challenge for solar energy use in Canada is the timing mismatch between the solar radiation received and the space heating needs of homes. A seasonal thermal energy store bridges this gap by storing thermal energy and discharging it when the thermal demand arises. Sand can be used as the medium in thermal energy storage, but no research has yet been published demonstrating the feasibility or efficiency of a sand-based seasonal thermal energy store (SSTES) for a residential building. A full-scale research house with a solar combisystem and an SSTES has been built in Ottawa, Canada, to evaluate this novel technology.1 BIG shout out to Curtis Meister and Sarah Brown who met me at my apartment as I arrived into Ottawa, and helped me to unpack my car! We had only met once before they agreed to help me!