Energy Analysis of a Centralized Residential Thermal System with PV-driven Heat Pumps and Multiple Storage Devices

In the framework of the four-year EU-funded innovation project e-SAFE, a residential pilot building with ten apartments in Southern Italy will be renovated by introducing an efficient thermal system named e-THERM, with high-performance PV-assisted centralized electricitydriven heat pumps, able to satisfy both space heating/cooling needs and Domestic Hot Water (DHW) preparation. A main feature of e-THERM is the exploitation of thermal and electricity storage devices, optimized to provide high self-consumption rate. The paper describes the architecture and the control logics of e-THERM, its sizing for the pilot building in Catania and the results of a first set of dynamic simulations – carried out with a TRNSYS code – to identify the energy balances and the main efficiency figures over some typical days. The simulations are also useful to verify the potential advantage of including an electric battery to store excess PV electricity.