Project description
Integrating innovative thermal energy storage solutions for smart buildings
Thermal energy storage (TES) makes it possible to store energy for use days or months later. TES technology stocks thermal energy by heating or cooling a storage medium. The EU funded THUMBS UP project will develop and demonstrate daily and weekly TES for EU buildings. By innovating at different levels, from modelling to materials and enhancing heat exchanger solutions, the project will design high-performance TES solutions in line with EU sustainable economy goals. Specifically, it will create bio-based phase change materials from raw materials currently wasted in the EU food industry and thermochemical materials relying on non-hazardous materials. The project will set up three demo sites in Spain and Sweden – in different EU climates and energy market contexts.
Objective
THUMBS UP aims to develop and demonstrate thermal energy storage (TES) at daily (based on environmental friendly PCM) and weekly level (based on TCM sorption technology) solutions to be easily integrated in EU buildings (both connected and not-connected to DHN) to increase their energy efficiency as well as to exploit Power-to-Heat (PtH) approaches also to make EU Buildings as grid flexibility actors. THUMBS UP wants to overcome all the limits of state-of-the-art building-integrated PCM and TCM TES technologies, increasing TES energy density and reducing CAPEX. THUMBS UP innovates at different levels, from modelling to materials and enhance heat exchanger solutions, targeting demonstration at TRL 7. High-performance TES solutions part of an EU sustainable economy is a factor at the core of THUMBS UP. The project develops truly i) bio-based PCMs from raw materials currently wasted in the EU food industry, turning them into valuable TES materials and ii) TCMs relying exclusively on non-hazardous materials and on water as working fluid. THUMBS UP TES will be demonstrated in 3 demosites (a single-family building in Spain and 2 multi-family buildings in Sweden/Spain) in different EU climates and energy market contexts also to assess THUMBS UP replication potential in two replication sites (ITA, NL). Via its demonstration and replication campaign, THUMBS UP promotes TES role as key enabling technology to optimize thermal comfort and energy efficiency in buildings as well as to promote PtH as facilitator of RES grid integration in a sector coupling approach, to be studied via innovative modelling tools. THUMBS UP gives specific attention to how to fully integrate TES solutions into buildings and wider smart energy networks by combining the technology advancements with TES-tailored digital innovations. THUMBS UP widens the capability to control, monitor and forecasts how to operate building-integrated TES systems to provide services toward both the H&C and power sector.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
28043 Madrid
Spain
See on map
Participants (19)
47151 Boecillo
See on map
16126 Genova
See on map
00185 Roma
See on map
25003 Lleida
See on map
20123 Milano
See on map
5222 AV 's-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch)
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
79098 Freiburg
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
3013AK Rotterdan
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
57001 Thermi Thessaloniki
See on map
Participation ended
412 58 GOTEBORG
See on map
10123 Torino
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
49324 MELLE
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
98122 Messina
See on map
5211 BN S HERTOGENBOSCH
See on map
1080 Bruxelles / Brussel
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
195 00 LAVRIO
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
D02 K138 Dublin
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
10129 Torino
See on map
501 15 Boras
See on map
Partners (1)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
B15 2TT Birmingham
See on map