Solar/electric heating systems in the future energy system

The two most powerful renewable energy sources are solar and wind energy. It is expected that an increasing part of our electricity consumption in the future will be covered by wind farms. This will result in an increased number of windy periods with a surplus of electricity and thereby a low electricity price. A concept where individual solar heating systems optimised for making use of electricity produced by wind turbines in these periods can facilitate the introduction of wind energy in large scale into the energy system and thereby contribute to increasing the part of our energy consumption covered by renewable energy sources.

The heat is produced by the solar heating system and by the electric heating element(s)/heat pump, which, if possible, only should be in operation in periods where the solar heating system cannot fully cover the heat demand and where the electricity price is low, e.g. in windy periods with a high electricity production from wind turbines. The unit is equipped with a smart heat storage (variable auxiliary volume) and a smart control system based on prognosis for the electricity price, the heat demand of the house, the solar heat production of the solar heating system and weather forecasts.

The project will elucidate how best to design an individual heating unit for one family houses based on the above principles. It is also elucidated how suitable the heating unit is for the home owner and for our future energy system. Different designs of the heating unit and the control system will be investigated and the most promising solutions tested experimentally. It is expected that the heating unit is more cost efficient than traditional solar heating systems and that it can be an attractive alternative to oil- and natural gas boilers, both from an economy and environmental point of view.