Storage and shifting of thermal energy

What is thermal energy storage and shifting?

This smart-ready service is part of the Heating domain within the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI). The SRI is a European method for measuring how well a building adapts to the needs of occupants, to the electricity grid, and to energy efficiency.

This specific service examines hot water storage tanks. These are vessels that store warm water, so heat does not need to be used immediately when it is generated. In this way, a building can shift heat to a more favourable moment.

What levels are there?

This service has three functionality levels. Each level builds on the previous one and indicates how intelligently the system manages thermal storage.

• Level 0: No thermal energy storage present.
• Level 1: Hot water storage tanks are present but are not controlled based on external information.
• Level 2: Hot water storage tanks are controlled based on external signals, for example from the building management system (BMS) or from the electricity grid.

At level 2, the building can control based on, for instance, the price or load on the electricity grid. This makes the building more flexible in its energy use.

Why does this service count in the SRI?

The SRI assesses buildings across nine domains with a total of 54 smart-ready services according to method B. This service also falls under method A, the simplified version with 27 services.

Each service is assessed against seven impact criteria, including energy efficiency and grid responsiveness. Three of these criteria are classified as key functionalities and carry equal weight in the score.