Kevin Erb

The project HT-PCM aims at providing a feasibility study of using phase change materials (PCM), e.g. erythritol, as storage solution for temperature ranges in between 110 °C to 120 °C. The storage concept is designed to be integrated with solar thermal collectors to provide solar process heat to industries. The proposed PCM solution is expected to decrease cost, achieving a latent energy density in the range of 80 kWh per m³ of storage volume at a cost lower than that of synthetic oil.

The overall goal of the TRI-HP project is the development and demonstration of flexible energy-efficient and affordable trigeneration systems. The systems will be based on electrically driven natural refrigerant heat pumps coupled with renewable electricity generators (PV), using cold (ice slurry), heat and electricity storages to provide heating, cooling and electricity to multi-family residential buildings with a self-consumed renewable share of 80 %. The innovations proposed will reduce the system cost by at least 10 - 15 % compared to current heat pump technologies with equivalent energetic performances. Two natural refrigerants with very low global warming potential, propane and carbon dioxide, will be used as working fluids.

The project is lead by SPF and supported by the research programme H2020 of the European Union – grant agreement ID: 814888

In the project HiPer-PVT we have developed a glazed (covered) PVT collector with a high electrical and a high thermal efficiency. Thanks to an overheating protection mechanism becoming effective at approximately 100 °C, this collector can be easily integrated into a thermal system. The concept of the overheating protection is that once the absorber reaches a predefined maximum temperature, it is brought into contact with the cover glass via a thermally activated lifting mechanism. This increases the heat losses and limits the stagnation temperature.