Providing Flexibility for District Heating Grids with Thermally Activated Building Structures in Residential Buildings
Abstract
For the urban housing sector's ongoing decarbonization efforts, district heating solutions stand as fundamental components. However, scaling up district heating systems presents significant challenges in grid extension and the integration of renewable heat sources. Demand peaks and generation mismatch pose operational hurdles which can be alleviated by using heat storages and demand flexibilities. This study evaluates the utilization of Thermally Activated Building Structures within residential complexes, employing model-based predictive controllers, to aid energy suppliers and grid operators in navigating operational challenges. Through a simulation study conducted for a real use case in the city of Vienna, this research demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed system in effectively mitigating grid peaks by leveraging thermal mass to offset non-shiftable demands, such as domestic hot water usage. The results show a peak load reduction of 27 % during the coldest week of the year and a 30 % reduction for an average winter week while keeping indoor comfort boundaries unviolated. The proposed technology therefore holds the potential to reserve grid capacity for additional buildings or to reduce the demand for peak load generation which is often based on fossil technologies.