Determining Key Parameters and Guidelines for the Design of an Electrically Activated Concrete Slab for Peak Shifting in a Light-Weight Residential Building in a Northern Climate

A thermal storage system for residential buildings in a Northern climate is developed for electrical peak shifting and shaving. To facilitate implementation, only commercially available products are used for the system in conjunction with common construction methods. A thermal model is created with the TRNSYS simulation software and validated using data from a two-year monitoring campaign. The thermal model is used to identify key system parameters and propose system design guidelines. It is determined that, for residential buildings with a footprint varying between 80 m2 to 200 m2, the basement floor slab can be used for thermal storage with electrical heating cables and that the entire basement heating load can, during the peaks, be shifted to off peak periods. The optimal assembly for the basement floor is composed of 102 mm of extruded polystyrene insulation followed by 152 mm of concrete. The electric heating cables are positioned at the bottom of the concrete layer. This assembly can be controlled with the air set point temperature. The air setpoint temperature of basement rooms during charging needs to be 2 degC higher than the air setpoint temperature during normal operating conditions. The required charging time for building footprints of 80, 120 160 and 200 m2 corresponds to 6.00, 5.51, 5.05 and 4.66 hours, respectively