Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP
Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP

Research project “Wind-powered heating 2.0: long-term storage”

Building with wind-powered heating 2.0 – solutions
© Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt
Possible solutions for using a building with wind-powered heating 2.0 with a large hot water storage tank (A), building component activation (B) and a central high-temperature stone storage tank (C).

Wind energy now accounts for the largest percentage of electricity generated by renewable energies in Germany. Especially during periods with high winds in winter, the German electricity grid provides an oversupply of electricity that results in very low or even negative prices on the electricity exchange. In some regions, wind farms must be throttled or even temporarily shut down completely to ensure grid stability. With their large thermal storage masses, buildings in Germany offer enormous potential for heat storage. Since wind power will play an important role in the electricity grid of the future and is available in excess - especially during periods with high winds in winter - the time coincides closely when highly efficient buildings need to be heated and when surplus power is available. In the future, buildings with wind-powered heating 2.0 will be able to meet their energy needs in an environmentally and system-compatible manner by generating heat from renewable surplus electricity. At the same time, they will be able to contribute to the successful implementation of the energy turnaround. For the electricity grid, system compatibility also results from the fact that buildings with wind-powered heating 2.0 can do without electricity for heating purposes during longer phases of high grid utilization (one to two weeks).

Results of the research project

As part of the research project “Wind Heating 2.0: long-term storage”, different types of long-term storage systems (high-temperature stone storage (HTSS) and  thermo-active building systems (TAB) with room-side insulation) were developed for the Wind Heating 2.0 concept and tested in the field. At the same time, a predictive control system was developed for the Wind Heating 2.0 storage system and tested in the trials. In addition, a design procedure for Wind Heating 2.0 buildings was developed and integrated into a corresponding design tool. The predictive control system developed as part of this project independently learns the characteristics of a building based on temperature and consumption figures and uses a weather forecast to predict the heating demand of the Wind Heating 2.0 building for the next 7.5 days (maximum weather forecast period). The controller automatically adjusts the storage system level in line with this demand forecast. This ensures that storage systems are only ever charged to the level required to cover the heat demand for the following week. The three new types of storage system (TAB storage system for renovation projects, TAB storage system for new buildings and HTSS) were conceived, designed and installed in real buildings on Fraunhofer IBP's field test site.

News and outlook / Status of the project

The Wind Heating 2.0 concept together with its controller, TAB storage systems, HTSS high-temperature stone storage system and water-based heat storage system will be further evaluated from 2023 onwards in four inhabited buildings as part of a demo project over two test winters. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action under the funding code 03EN6013(A).

In general, the implementation of Wind Heating 2.0 and all other flexibilization solutions is dependent on the establishment of the necessary political and energy industry framework conditions. These will ensure that the largest possible number of (electricity) consumers who are able to flexibilize are rewarded accordingly for behaving in a way that benefits the electricity system.
The Wind Heating 2.0 planning tool can be downloaded at https://ibpupdateservice.eneff06.de/ClickOnce/Windheizung/ToolWindheizung.application free of charge.

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Prasentation of Project Wind-powered heating 2.0 (only German)

The consortium

Together with partners from industry in the domains of thermo-active building systems and storage technologies (CONCRETE Rudolph GmbH, Klimatop GmbH, Rath GmbH, Bundesverband Kalksandsteinindustrie e. V.), heating & control technology (Klöpper-Therm GmbH & Co. KG, tekmar Regelsysteme GmbH), grid operators and energy suppliers (TenneT TSO GmbH, LEW Verteilnetz GmbH, Lechwerke AG), the Center of Innovative Energy Systems at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences (ZIES) is supporting the research project in the field of economic feasibility studies and grid signals. The project is also receiving technical and financial support from the Free State of Bavaria, specifically from the Bavarian Environment Agency (LfU) and the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (StMWi).