Energy storage in buildings - a technology overview BG73 2018

BSRIA (Building Services Research and Information Association) is a non-profit distributing, member-based association, that describes its mission as ‘to make buildings better...’ by enabling ‘…the building services and construction industries and their clients to enhance the value of the built environment, by improving the quality of their products and services, the efficiency of their provision and the effectiveness of their operation.’

In February 2018, BSRIA published Energy storage in buildings - a technology overview (BG73/2018), a 58-page guide written by John Piggott.

It comes at a timely moment, when the built environment is going through changes that are unprecedented in their speed and impact, with smarter and more efficient use of energy being one of the key dimensions of that change, and energy storage one of its main components.

The guide provides an illustrated overview of the options available for energy storage in buildings, for use in heating, cooling, hot water and ventilation, as well as for appliances, lighting and other equipment.

It explains the fundamental principles of energy storage and describes the main system types and forms that they take. It familiarises the reader with the science behind the different types of energy storage, although it is not intended to be a science or engineering textbook. It is aimed at designers, facilities managers and occupiers.

Case studies illustrate how different energy storage technologies have been applied in the past so that readers can appreciate some of the practicalities involved and gain an understanding of how mature different systems are. In particular, battery storage systems have received a great deal of media coverage recently, and an example of this is included.

The guide is structured into two main sections, dealing with thermal and electrical energy respectively. Subsections address the main types of technology and the applications to which they are put.

--BSRIA