Technologies

The overall aim is to provide heating and cooling to residential and tertiary buildings with lower emissions, energy bills, and fossil fuel dependency. Moreover, the project will bring performance increase, cost reduction through also an optimized size and installation cost reduction, increased reliability in a lifetime, and reduced maintenance as well as their integration in 5 Technology packages (TPs).

5 different technology combinations, known as Technology Packages (TPs), are supplied to the demo sites, combining the technologies listed below. Indeed, one of the main goals of SunHorizon is to introduce technology innovations to be firstly validated at a laboratory scale and finally on real demo-site applications.

Individual technologies included in SunHorizon project, and relative energy needs covered.

The technologies will be properly managed by a cloud-based functional monitoring platform with services such as demand prediction, proactive and predictive maintenance tools, or a hybrid advance controller (supported by a smart user interface). The services will help maximize solar exploitation and give the manufacturer inputs for new installation designs.

The TPs will be demonstrated in the 8 SunHorizon demo sites (9 buildings).

SunHorizon TPs

The demo sites needs are supplied with 5 different technology combinations, that combine the following technologies:

Indeed, integrating solar and heat pump technology aims to cover the whole heating and cooling (H&C) demand of the building in order to maximize solar self-consumption and guarantee adequate internal comfort.

The 5 SunHorizon TPs are:

  1. Innovative gas-fired heat pump with high-vacuum panels
  2. Innovative gas-fired heat pump with improved PVT solar panels
  3. Hybrid adsorption-compression chiller with high-vacuum solar panels
  4. Brine water heat pump assisted with improved PVT solar panels
  5. Hybrid adsorption-compression chiller with high-vacuum solar panels innovative gas-fired heat pump
SunHorizon TPs   Solar-HP integration concept Description
TP1 TVP+BH Parallel integration TVP for space heating + domestic hot water (DHW); BH to cover non-solar periods
TP2 DS+BH Mixed solar-assisted / parallel integration BH for space heating + DHW support; DS PV-T thermal output to cover as much heat demand as possible + excess electricity production for appliances
TP3 TVP+FAHR Solar-driven HP for cooling TVP for space heating + DHW in winter + activation of the thermal compressor of the adsorption chiller (FAHR)
TP4 DS + BDR Parallel integration DS PV-T thermal output to cover part of SH and DHW heat demand + electricity production to cover reversible HP electricity consumption
TP5 TVP+BH+ FAHR Mixed solar-driven / parallel integration TVP for space heating + DHW; BH to cover non solar periods; FAHR adsorption chiller activated only by BH or also by TVP
Technology package 1 (TP1):

TP1 consists in a parallel integration of TVP solar collectors to cover most of the heating demand (space heating and domestic hot water) and BH to cover non-solar periods. Via the stratification system, the solar heat use is maximized. TP1 is applied in an apartment building in Berlin (Germany).

TP1
Technology package 2 (TP2):

TP2 has DS PVT panels whose thermal output assists the BH evaporator and covers preheating of demand, enhancing the HP performance. Furthermore, the electricity needs are covered with the photovoltaic output. TP2 is applied in an apartment building in Nurnberg (Germany), and two single-family houses in Riga (Latvia).

TP2
Technology package 3 (TP3):

TP3 has TVP collectors to cover the heating demand in winter, while in summer the solar output drives the adsorption chiller from Fahrenheit to meet the space cooling needs. TP3 is applied to a tertiary building in Sant Cugat del Vallès (Spain), replacing the constant speed HP currently installed, which is electrical-driven.

TP3
Technology package 4 (TP4):

TP4 is applied in the Madrid (Spain) demo site relying on reversible HP from BDR, dual production of solar heat and electricity, and versatile thermal storage. In Madrid, a 9-apartment building, the COP of the BDR brine/water HP benefits from both thermal and electricity outputs of the DS hybrid PVT panels; while air/water HP is used as a backup. The electricity production covers the heat pump’s consumption and the dwelling’s demand.

TP4 (BDR + DS)
Technology package 5 (TP5):

TP5 is composed by TVP solar collectors, RT high stratification storage tank, FAHR hybrid chiller and the BH thermal HP. The hot water produced by TVP is stored in the high stratification RT tank, providing high temperature to the adsorption input and for DHW and space heating. The chilled water produced by FAHR hybrid chiller is stored in a smaller tank and then delivered to the space cooling system. During winter the pre-heated water by TVP is delivered to the BH unit that, if necessary, heats it up to cover the space heating and DHW demand.

TP5
Expected impacts

The technical partners of the project (CEA, CARTIF, CNR/ITAE and RINA) estimated the building energy demand of the 8 Demonstrators (9 buildings in total). They used TRNSYS software, calibrated on theirs monthly gas and electricity bills. From the results, it is estimated that SunHorizon technology packages will allow to achieve 33-70% GHG emissions savings and 30-85% operation costs savings in the different demo sites. TP1 to TP4 will be demonstrated in different demo sites, while TP5 will be only tested in simulation, in 3 locations and 2 types of buildings (tertiary and apartment building).

The following table shows the detailed performance expected of each technology package.

SunHorizon TPs   Solar-HP integration concept Results from simulations:
TP1 TVP + BH Parallel integration In Berlin: 32% of primary energy savings and GHG emissions savings, 25 renewable energy ratio, and 578 EUR/year cost bills reduction
TP2 DS + BH Mixed solar-assisted/ parallel integration

In Nurnberg: ~ 33% of primary energy and costs savings, 80% of electrical self-consumption ratio (SCR).

In Riga: ~22% of primary energy savings, 31 GHG emissions savings, 15% renewable energy ration, and 32% cost bills reduction 

TP3 TVP + FAHR Solar-driven HP for cooling In Sant Cugat: ~5-50% range of primary energy and costs savings according to the position (high / medium / low solar zone)
TP4 BDR Mixed solar-assisted/ parallel integration

In Madrid: ~76% of primary energy and 70% of greenhouses gases savings

TP5 TVP + BH + FAHR Mixed solar-driven/ parallel integration

For tertiary building the primary energy saving ranges from 19% to 57% depending on the location.

For the multifamily residence building the primary energy saving ranges from 33% to 41%

Technology package performance

Please, you can find more information on the “Innovate heat pump solutions: the SunHorizon Technology Packages” by SunHorizon, published by REHVA, here.

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