What is a Thermal Store?
A thermal store is sometimes called a thermal bank. A thermal storage system stores excess energy for hours or days at a time. The main intention is to provide a viable source of heating in order to balance energy demand.
Heatweb will help you have a full understanding of what a thermal store involves & how this type of mechanism functions. As well as understanding its main benefits for those who might not have a great deal of technical experience. Let’s take a closer look.
About Thermal Stores
A thermal store is a large store of water that can be heated by multiple heat sources depending on the intended application. This insulated storage cylinder (known as an accumulator or buffer vessel) supports both space heating and main pressure hot water in a domestic setting.
Some common examples include:
- Solar energy storage (hot water only systems)
- Ground-source heat pumps
- Biomass district heating
- Electric thermal storage heaters
- Hot water storage cylinders
As hot water thermal storage cylinders are often used to exchange heat for domestic hot water within domestic and commercial settings, the thermal store sizing is designed to support everyday heating tasks and may contain more than one heat exchange method. These cylinders are part of a home’s heating system and connect to an immersion heater.
A Look at a Typical Water Thermal Storage Tank
There are two common varieties of hot water thermal stores.
- The first utilises a coil within the thermal store.
- While the second uses an externally mounted plate heat exchanger.
In the first example:
- A hot water coil will pass through the store of hot water.
- The water contained within this coil then absorbs the heat from the store; allowing an immediate source of domestic hot water.
External plate heat exchanger systems are slightly more complicated and they involve:
- Directing mains cold water through a flow switch and towards the plate heat exchanger.
- The flow switch activates a pump which circulates water from the store around the other side of the plate heat exchanger, heating the incoming cold water to create domestic hot water.
The main benefit is; that while there are more components, this variety tends to be much more economical and efficient than the coil-based alternative. The plate heat exchanger is easy to replace when a coil is not.
User Benefits?
One main benefit is a reduction in mains electricity requirement to obtain an immediate source of hot water.
In addition:
- It is possible to link multiple heating source systems together (such as a solar heating pump and a wood-burning stove). This provides faster hot water generation in comparison to standard boiler methods.
- Efficiency & convenience for the user.
Environmental Benefits?
A thermal store offers many energy-saving and green benefits:
- A secondary heating source can heat water, such as an immersion heater or conventional boiler.
- A back boiler, stove or wood-burning stove works with maximum efficiency with no more room overheating.
- A reduction in the need to buy costly fossil fuels. This will reduce a home’s carbon footprint.
- Use in off-grid settings where mains fuel is unavailable and sited almost anywhere on a property if the tank location is at a height over that of the heating system).
- No waiting to heat up water, there is a clear difference in the time between when hot water is required & available.
To find out more, please feel free to get in touch.
