In the first half of 2021, CEA experimental platform at INES is hosting the tests of three solar-based hybrid technologies developed by SunHorizon industry partners before the in-situ deployment phase during summer 2021: TP2, TP4 and high vacuum flat solar thermal panels.
The test of TP2 involves Ratiotherm (solar heat distribution and 1.3 m3 stratified thermal storage, controller with electricity self-consumption strategy) and Boostheat (20kW thermal compression gas-fired C02 heat pump) as real hardware components while 50m² Dualsun solar PVT panels are virtually emulated, as well as the building and user heat and electricity demand. The TP2 installation in CEA INES semi-virtual lab is finished. A custom 9-days test sequence was developed by CEA to assess TP2 performance, mainly regarding gas and electricity consumptions, in representative operating conditions all year round, for residential heating and DHW application like the Riga Sunisi demo site in Latvia. The test setup already allows gaining experience for fail-proof connections and wiring recommendations of Ratiotherm and Boostheat altogether and validating the proper operation of controllers. The performance test results target is to consume 9MWh of gas and 5.5MWh of electricity concerning 1.5 MWh as DHW, 12.2MWh as space heating and 7.7 MWh as electricity demand.
The semi-virtual lab test of TP4 from BDR for residential heating, cooling and DHW application was performed in March-April, in T3.3, following a custom 8-days test sequence developed by CEA for Piera demo site in Spain. BDR developed TP4 new concept for maximising the overall system emissions savings and the PV electricity self-consumption through BDR 6kW reversible air source heat pump and 440L water storage, 4m² thermal and 10m² PV flat solar panels (virtually emulated) with homogeneous tilted roof integration. The analysis of the results is under work, it is already demonstrating 50% annual primary energy savings and 44% renewable energy ratio of the real controller and hardware, very close to the estimated values by dynamic TRNSYS simulation.
Figure 3 : outlook of the LTpower panels shipment and outdoor solar thermal performance test principles
The Sunhorizon demo pilots of TP3 in Sant Cugat, TP1 in Verviers and Berlin are relying on TVP solar LT power high vacuum flat solar thermal panels. Before being demonstrated also in INES PFE professional training platform in summer 2021, CEA is installing 8m² LT power panels on its sun-tracking outdoor solar test bench to get a preliminary experimental performance assessment. Tests are running for a few days in June with appropriate weather conditions, in Chambéry, France. The resulting LTpower performance test datasets and numerical model are to be used in the forthcoming TP1 semi-virtual test or further TVP solar sizing tools and performance simulations.