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Reference Number EP/V041452/1
Title VTTESS- Variable-Temperature Thermochemical Energy Storage System and Heat Networks for Decarbonising the Buildings Sector
Status Started
Energy Categories Energy Efficiency(Residential and commercial) 5%;
Other Power and Storage Technologies(Energy storage) 95%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields SOCIAL SCIENCES (Sociology) 10%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 75%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Architecture and the Built Environment) 15%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation) 10%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour) 25%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Technology acceptance) 25%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Other sociological economical and environmental impact of energy) 40%;
Principal Investigator Professor J Darkwa

Faculty of Engineering
University of Nottingham
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 July 2021
End Date 31 December 2024
Duration 42 months
Total Grant Value £1,354,081
Industrial Sectors Energy
Region East Midlands
Programme Energy : Energy
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Professor J Darkwa , Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham (99.991%)
  Other Investigator Dr R Mokaya , Chemistry, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr J Muthuri , Nottingham University Business School, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr H Noke , Nottingham University Business School, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr R Boukhanouf , Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr A Laybourn , Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr K Robertson , Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr J S Calautit , Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr EO Turner , College of Business and Social Sciences, Aston University (0.001%)
Dr Y Miao , College of Business and Social Sciences, Aston University (0.001%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , Nottingham City Council (0.000%)
Project Contact , Hubl Logistics Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , NRG Sense Limited (0.000%)
Project Contact , Sustainable Direction Ltd (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract Over half of all energy consumption in the UK is for meeting thermal demand, with the buildings sector accounting for around 44%. Direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from buildings alone accounted for 26% of the UK total in 2019. In order to decarbonise the supply side of the buildings sector, low carbon and zero carbon heating systems need to be developed to replace fossil-fuelled systems. There are many potential candidates, such as geothermal and solar-thermal, industrial, and commercial waste heat and heat pumps. However, the variable nature of the low-zero carbon sources, both short term (daily) and long term (seasonal), and mismatches between needs and availability of energy, make decarbonisation difficult to achieve at the individual building level. District heating (DH) systems in urban settings (industrial and domestic) are ideally placed to provide the infrastructure to match the demand from individual buildings via transient low/zero carbon sources, but require suitable energy storage facilities that can operate over a range of source temperatures. Currently, just over 7% of DH systems in the UK use hot water storage. Fluidised bed thermochemical energy storage (TCES) system using water circulation through inorganic oxides has great potential for storage at high energy densities. It can be designed for operation at variable temperatures. It can retain the energy in its absorbed state, with near-zero losses and so potentially allowing storage inter-seasonally, e.g. storing solar energy in summer during low demand and discharging in winter during high demand. DH integrated with TCES will significantly contribute to decarbonisation of the built environment, addressing issues of fuel poverty and pollution. However, its success depends not only on technical capacities but also on the systemic inter-dependencies between macro (national), meso (regional) and micro (local) level actors. DH is a context-specific energy service where a coalition of these actors are essential, and social and environmental criteria must be incorporated in the decision-making process. As DH is a multi-building technology, for residential application, community engagement and integration of citizens in the decision process, taking into account of the above elements, are critical to ensure a pathway to success. We will therefore develop a co-design framework to better understand socio-political, organisational, economic, and technical factors associated with TCES-DH system in order to foster a community of practice between actors on all levels
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Added to Database 07/10/21