Great Technology Fusion
Heat pumps, solar power and thermal battery storage are a perfect fusion of technologies:
- Program your heat pump/s to run during the day with your solar power
- Store thermal energy in your slab, water and other thermal mass of your home
- Shift energy release after sundown
Thermal Mass
Houses in southern, inland or alpine climates should be built of solid construction with high thermal mass inside the building envelope.
A key building element is an insulated concrete slab. Other building elements that add thermal mass include internal brick, stone walls and feature walls.
Water is also a very good store of thermal energy. Therefore, put heat into your hot water storage tank or a hydronic buffer tank during the day.
However, brick veneer outside the building envelope does not add thermal mass where it is needed. Weatherboard homes on stumps also have low thermal mass.
Reduce Energy Use
Shift your stored thermal energy to evening and early morning to reduce your energy costs for heating, cooling and hot water.
These appliances together account for about 2/3 of your total home energy demand.
Larger Buffer Tank
Consider adding a larger heat pump buffer tank for greater thermal storage.
Water provides an excellent means of thermal storage.
You can increase your buffer tank size from 100 litres to 200, 400, 700, 1000 or even up to 1500 litres in order to create a very large thermal battery.
Consider this if you have a lightweight home, have space for a larger buffer tank, and/or going off-grid.
Solar Power
Use your solar power to run your heat pump/s during the day. This is particularly useful with underfloor hydronic systems to exploit the significant mass of your slab.
Also store thermal energy in the water of your hot water tank and hydronic buffer tank.