Comfort and Climate Box (CCB)

Lead Research Organisation: University of Ulster
Department Name: Sch of Built Environment

Abstract

The central concept in this Annex is the Comfort and Climate Box CCB. This concept denotes a combined package, consisting of a Heat Pump, an Energy Storage Module and Controls. This package may form an actual physical unit but can also consist of separate modules that form an integrated 'virtual pack-age'. A CCB should not just be a set of components that have been put together. Rather, all components of the CCB should be designed to work together in a modular fashion and should be operated under a dedicated and optimal integrated control strategy. The package solution could but will not automatically take the shape of a single physical 'box' providing all functions. Rather, the package may also consist of a set of 'modules' that have been designed to work together and are run by a dedicated and optimized control strategy as a 'virtual package'.

The Comfort and Climate Box will compile a portfolio of country-specific prototype testing and demonstration projects. A description of the market status will be elaborated. Derived from this, a roadmap will establish the next steps of development and describe how to implement the CCB in the respective markets, with recommendations for market participants and policy makers on how to enhance market uptake.
 
Description New heat storage materials have been developed to enhance thermal storage for heat pump storage
Exploitation Route New thermal energy storage to enhance domestic thermal storage and demand side management
Sectors Construction,Energy,Environment
 
Description As part of IEA HPT Annex 55 Comfort and Climate Box, we have initiated field trials of heat pumps and thermal storage wit local social housing providers. To date we have satisfied end users.
First Year Of Impact 2022
Sector Energy,Environment
Impact Types Societal,Economic
 
Description Internationally, the IEA HPT Annex 55 Comfort and Climate Box has attracted interest from The Netherlands, UK, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, China, Canada, The United States etc. 
Organisation Business Development Holland (BDH)
Country Netherlands 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution BDH coordinate the International Energy Agency Annex 55 Comfort Climate Box. Ulster University leads Task 2 o Prototyping a new heat pump and is delivering an international literature review on the sizing and types single family homes air source heat pumps and allied thermal storage.
Collaborator Contribution The focus will be primarily on space heating (although cooling is of great interest to many partners). This Annex has reported projects such as SolarFocus (Austria - Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), PV, Water Storage Modelling and Trial); Canada have developed a Heat Market Transformation Map showing the amounts of storage required in the family home; Switzerland see optimization projects involving thermal storage stratification and a future of Phase Change Material or Thermochemical Material (PCM/TCM); China has a number of ongoing field trials in centralised community ground source heat pumps (GHSP) and decentralised ASHP (noting challenging coefficients of performance (COPs) in winter); Over 200 ASHP and GSHP German examples monitored by the Fraunhofer Institute again emphasise a combined stratified tank for heating and hot water e.g. SunHorizon project; Italy are developing laboratory facilities to generate standards for CCB concepts; Sweden has a long history of GSHP use but is evaluating a range of Smart Heat Pump solutions including Battery Sizing With PV Production, ground source heat pump system and bidirectional ventilation, and phase change material storage integration; and the United States is developing advanced PCM/TCM storage options for heat pump integration. Finally, The Netherlands has a number of case studies with 96 small houses in the Presikhaaf district of Arnhem being an example. As part of the renovation, the houses were fully insulated to lower energy consumptions; in addition, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels were installed on the rooftops (35 panels per house, 300Wp per panel) to generate electricity and heat pumps (air-to-water, 8kW) were deployed for space heating and domestic hot water. Through IEA HPT Annex 55 membership and active participation and Task 2 leadership on system prototyping, CCB expects to capture, inform and develop best practice for heat pumps and thermal storage in the UK. For the United Kingdom, National Grid Future Energy Scenario modelling illustrates that the electrification of space heating through heat pumps will be a component of a future net-zero carbon UK. Heat pump field trials have revealed high levels of end-user satisfaction e.g. Nedo in Manchester , UCL analysis in London etc, but have revealed air-source heat pump impacts, namely increased electricity demands at reduced air temperature. Hybrid heat pumps are shown to offset low temperature increased electricity demand from heat pumps but there is a question over future volumes of so-called "green" gas. Thermal storage can provide short term energy tariff/electricity distribution network management and targeted volumes of "green gas" could be used to offset peak electricity demands.
Impact Documents will appear soon
Start Year 2021