Energy, Volume and Cost Analyses of High Temperature Seasonal Thermal Storage for Plus Energy House

The article analyzes the impact of different filling materials for a seasonal heat storage stack that can be used to heat an innovative plus-energy house in Poland. The storage medium is of the sensible heat type. Twelve filling materials and nine thermal insulation materials readily available in the local market were analyzed. Seven variants comprising a combination of the stack's filling and thermal insulation materials were selected and then grouped into three classes: advanced, medium, and simple technology. Using a mathematical model, energy analysis of the year-round operation of the HVAC installation in the analyzed building was performed for each of the seven variants. The conducted analyses revealed that for each combination of filling and thermal insulation material, there is an optimal maximum temperature of the stack, at which the volume of the stack is the smallest or its costs are the lowest. The obtained results were evaluated to determine the ideal variant combination, and two solutions were recommended: clinker brick and fireplace wool, for which the stack volume is 23 m(3) and the total cost is EUR 12,500; and concrete block and glass wool, for which the stack volume is 27 m(3) and the total cost is EUR 1700.