Sustainable energy supply for self-sufficient buildings with seasonal energy storages - parametric study

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the efficiency of energy supply systems must be increased, for example, using renewable energy sources. Since the generation of renewable energy can depend on weather conditions and other parameters, the use of short- or long-term energy storage enables an increase in the covered building energy demand. Due to the large number of available technologies for renewable energy generation and storage, it is possible to combine these systems into different energy supply concepts. By optimizing and comparing the designed concepts, the most suitable one can be determined with respect to the current and future investments. A comprehensive comparison of energy supply concepts must include both economic and energy evaluation criteria. This study focuses on parametric numerical simulations to identify economically feasible and sustainable energy supply concepts for a practical case of new residential buildings. The results show that electrical storage and on-site power generation can provide the greatest benefits. In contrast, large thermal storage systems are not economically viable.