New energy storage technology, which could significantly reduce household bills and help the UK achieve net zero, has been installed at the University of Nottingham’s Creative Energy Homes.
The BASF Research House, one of the two homes that have had the technology installed. Image Credit: University of Nottingham
The installation is the latest step for the Advanced Distributed Storage for Grid Benefit Project (ADSorB) – a consortium led by researchers from the University of Sheffield – which aims to commercialise the use of new thermal energy storage technologies developed at the University of Loughborough. The technologies store excess energy when renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, are plentiful, so it can be released and used during peak times or to make up for shortfalls in supply.
The team previously undertook a feasibility study, where they evaluated Thermochemical Storage (TCS), which can offer longer term storage, and Phase Change Material (PCM) technologies, which are more agile and offer shorter term storage. Combined, the two have the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions, provide a more flexible approach to renewable energy storage and support the country’s net zero ambitions.
These technologies have since been developed and adapted to become modular thermal energy stores that can be slotted into homes alongside the household’s existing energy system – whether that’s as part of a retrofit or within a new build. These prototypes have been installed at Nottingham.
Mark Gillott, Professor of Sustainable Design at the University of Nottingham, said: “Soaring household bills have been hitting headlines for months as the cost-of-living crisis continues. Therefore, finding an effective alternative has never been more important. Thermal energy storage has the potential to solve two issues in one – not only is it cost effective, but it also removes renewable energy’s dependency on specific weather conditions.
“This is the first of two installations scheduled to take place at Nottingham this year. We’ve started with PCM technology and will follow with TCS later on in autumn, which will provide us with comparable data for both types of technology. By undertaking these trials at lived-in homes, we’ll be able to provide accurate results that will allow us to scale up the technology and bring it to market as quickly as possible.”
Alongside Nottingham, the project team is made up of researchers from Sheffield and Loughborough, universities, as well as Mixergy – the market leader in innovative, grid-connected hot water storage.
Dr Rob Barthorpe, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, said: “This is an exciting milestone to have reached and we are now looking forward to generating the data, and creating an evidence base to demonstrate the benefit that distributed energy storage can provide. We hope this will validate our modelling that showed not only consumer benefits through reduced bills, but grid and carbon reduction benefits that will make significant contributions to the UK’s net zero goals.”
One of the two houses where the trials are taking place is currently occupied by Komal Siwach and her family. She said: “We’ve been living in our Creative Energy Home since 2019, and we’re really excited to be part of the first phase of installations as heat pumps are more efficient than more conventional boilers and furnaces. I’m expecting this will lower our energy bills by between 30% and 40%.”
The £2.6m project is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the Longer Duration Energy Storage Demonstration programme, part of the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP).