ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 92

Column EmErging TEchnologiEs

TES for Residential Settings
By michaEl ruTBErg; mildrEd hasTBacka; anTonio Bouza, associaTE mEmBEr ashraE

Last month, we discussed thermal energy
storage (TES) in the context of commercial buildings, focusing specifically on cool
storage in the form of ice or chilled water.
For residential buildings, the economies
of scale for these storage technologies are
absent, so other approaches have been
developed. In this column, we address two
other forms of TES that are better matched
to residential settings.
The first, electric thermal storage (ETS), is a mature
technology. As with the cool storage technologies examined last month, notable current developments include
smarter controls and tighter demand-response integration with the electric grid. The second is the incorporation
of phase change materials (PCMs) into building components in both envelope and interior. Last reviewed by
Emerging Technologies in July 2007,1 PCMs show promise
for energy savings but still face cost and performance barriers to adoption.

Technology Overview
Electric thermal storage (ETS) systems have been commercially available for decades, with total installed capacity in the U.S. now about 1,000 MW.2 Typically, ETS uses an
insulated bank of ceramic bricks. During system charge,
electric resistance elements heat up the bricks. During
discharge, air (in the case of room units or centrally
ducted forced hot air systems) or water (in hydronic heating systems) is passed through the hot brick array and on
to the heating load. While the core technology behind ETS
is mature and fairly static, associated control technology
has seen recent advances.
One Internet-enabled ETS controller, compatible with
both new and existing units, has been introduced by a
demand-response (DR) services company. Controllers
attempt to optimize ETS operation based on weather
and electricity pricing information, but they also can
be remotely commanded by the DR company. This
92

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Au g ust 2013

allows aggregation of many ETS units into substantial
DR resources that can be called upon by utilities in real
time. Concord Electric Light in Massachusetts and PPL
Electric Utilities in Pennsylvania are early adopters of this
Internet-enabled technology.
A very different form of TES involves incorporating
solid-liquid phase change materials (PCMs) into building
components, e.g., insulation, wallboard, or as a dedicated
layer. Because of the high latent heat of the phase change,
PCMs can add significant thermal mass without substantially increasing building envelope weight or volume.
Assuming ambient outdoor temperatures cycle diurnally around the phase change point, including a PCM
effectively delays and attenuates temperature swings.
Generally, inclusion of more PCM means more delay and
more attenuation. Under the right conditions, the delay
can be advantageous from a time-of-use standpoint,
shifting load into off-peak hours, while the attenuation
can reduce heating/cooling energy consumption and
peak loads. Under certain conditions, the combination of
attenuation and delay can provide a passive cooling and
heating effect (Figure 1).
(Figure
The concept of using phase change materials in building
envelopes is not new, but practical implementation still
presents significant challenges. The ideal building PCM is
low-cost, fire-resistant, inert, non-toxic, stable over a long
lifetime, with a high energy storage density, and an easily
engineered phase transition point that is near room temperature and exhibits minimal hysteresis, i.e., through
complete heating and cooling cycles, the PCM exhibits
melting and a freezing temperatures that are essentially
the same, a necessary condition for predictable and
consistent heat transfer. While various PCM-containing
building materials have been installed in pilot projects, no
product has yet achieved sustained commercial success.
Both organic and inorganic compounds have been
explored as building PCMs. Among organic materials,
petroleum-derived paraffins have historically been the
most common. More recently, bio-derived organic PCMs
have risen in prominence. One technology company
offers vegetable-based PCMs at a wide range of transition



ASHRAE Journal - August 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - August 2013

Contents
Commentary
Industry News
Letters
Meetings and Shows
Feature Articles
Presidential Address: Shaping the Next
Technical vs. Process Commissioning: Owner’s Project Requirements
Energy Codes & Standards, Part 2
Shaping the Next: Indoor Air Quality
Cutting-Edge Renovation
System Efficiency for Natural Refrigerants
Standing Columns
Building Sciences
InfoCenter
Data Centers
Emerging Technologies
HVAC Applications
Energy Modeling
Refrigeration Applications
Product Showplace
People
Classified Advertising
Advertisers Index
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 2
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Commentary
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 5
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Industry News
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 7
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 8
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 9
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 10
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 11
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 12
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 13
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Letters
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 15
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 16
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 17
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 18
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 19
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Meetings and Shows
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 21
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Presidential Address: Shaping the Next
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 23
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 24
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 25
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 26
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 27
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 28
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 29
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 30
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 31
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Technical vs. Process Commissioning: Owner’s Project Requirements
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 33
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 34
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 35
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 36
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 37
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 38
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 39
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Energy Codes & Standards, Part 2
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 41
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 42
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 43
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 44
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 45
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 46
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 47
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 48
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 49
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Shaping the Next: Indoor Air Quality
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 51
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 52
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 53
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 54
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 55
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 56
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 57
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 58
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 59
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Cutting-Edge Renovation
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 61
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 62
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 63
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 64
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 65
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - System Efficiency for Natural Refrigerants
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 67
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 68
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 69
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 70
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 71
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Building Sciences
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 73
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 74
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 75
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 76
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 77
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 78
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 79
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 80
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 81
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - InfoCenter
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 83
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 84
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 85
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 86
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 87
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Data Centers
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 89
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 90
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 91
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Emerging Technologies
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 93
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 94
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 95
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - HVAC Applications
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 97
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Energy Modeling
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Refrigeration Applications
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Product Showplace
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 101
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - People
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Classified Advertising
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Advertisers Index
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - Cover4
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