Assessment of the Benefits of Employing Thermal Energy Storage in Spain, Germany and Europe
Abstract
Thermal energy storage (TES) is currently presented as one of the most suitable solutions in achieving energy savings and preventing damages to the environment. TES potential applications have led to R&D activities and to the development of various technology types according to each situation and many of the applications and/or related technologies involve either direct or indirect use of solar energy. Despite all this, no available data quantifying the benefits of TES is found in literature so far, neither for specific cases nor even on a national scale in countries such as Spain (with a large solar potential), and furthermore on a continental level in Europe. This is why, in order to corroborate the derived energetic and environmental benefits from TES this work intends to provide the first assessment of European TES potential, with a closer outlook for Spain and Germany. Potential and/or current TES applications are classified and their main variables defined. A 10-year scenario with assumed but realistic implementation rates is proposed to provide an idea of the benefits in the immediate future. Load reductions, energy savings, and CO2 emissions reductions are tackled. Results show that in the case of Europe yearly CO2 emissions may get to be cut down up to around 6% in reference to 1990 emission levels.