Seasonal Thermal-Energy Storage: A Critical Review on BTES Systems, Modeling, and System Design for Higher System Efficiency

Abstract

Abstract:Buildings consume approximately 3 4 of the total electricity generated in the United States, contributing significantly to fossil fuel emissions. Sustainable and renewable energy production can reduce fossil fuel use, but necessitates storage for energy reliability in order to compensate for the intermittency of renewable energy generation. Energy storage is critical for success in developing a sustainable energy grid because it facilitates higher renewable energy penetration by mitigating the gap between energy generation and demand. This review analyzes recent case studies-numerical and field experiments-seen by borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) in space heating and domestic hot water capacities, coupled with solar thermal energy. System design, model development, and working principle(s) are the primary focus of this analysis. A synopsis of the current efforts to effectively model BTES is presented as well. The literature review reveals that: (1) energy storage is most effective when diurnal and seasonal storage are used in conjunction; (2) no established link exists between BTES computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models integrated with whole building energy analysis tools, rather than parameter-fit component models; (3) BTES has less geographical limitations than Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) and lower installation cost scale than hot water tanks and (4) BTES is more often used for heating than for cooling applications.

Phase Change Materials (PCM) for Solar Energy Usages and Storage: An Overview

“…Of these four types, solid-liquid PCMs are the most suitable for Amongst the various energy storage systems, thermal energy storage exhibits the highest efficiency [24]. A thermal storage system can utilize the solar energy and excess thermal energy that is generated throughout the day and can be stored for either short or seasonal periods [25]. Both seasonal storage and diurnal storage can be combined to achieve an efficient system.…”

“…Seasonal thermal storage helps to avoid energy shortage during a period when there is limited sun exposure and lowers high energy costs by storing thermal energy when solar radiation or other energy sources are abundant or inexpensive [27,28]. Therefore, coupling solar energy with sensible storage for diurnal and seasonal periods is important for distributed generation [25,28]. In order for the PCM system to accomplish seasonal heat storage, insulated thermal mass and stable super-cooling are required.…”

Sustainable Residential Energy Supply: A Literature Review-Based Morphological Analysis

“…Heat storage can also work in seasonal timescales. It stores energy in big water reservoirs (hot water or aquifer thermal energy storage), the soil (borehole thermal energy storage), or combination of soil and water (gravel water thermal energy storage) [85].…”

Coarse-Grained Model of Underground Thermal Energy Storage Applied to Efficiency Optimization

“…However, for seasonal storage to be economically feasible, the cost needs to be on the order of $1 per kWh [1], about two orders of magnitude below current battery prices. Borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) [2][3][4] is much less expensive. During the summer, hot water from sources such as rooftop solar collectors is pumped into a short-term storage tank.…”