3. Applying sensible heat storage to buildings

3.1 Low-temperature sensible heat storage tanks

Irrespective of passive storage in concrete or other building materials, water is the material of choice for storing sensible heat in buildings, thanks to all its properties. This type of storage is particularly interesting in the case of a variable-temperature heat source, such as solar thermal energy, but also for economic reasons when electricity rates lend themselves to it, with a sufficiently low night rate for example, or quite simply to avoid systematic start-stop sequences and the corresponding wear and tear on equipment. However, despite a relatively high heat content, the volumes required for water storage of the inter-seasonal type, for example, are very large. Storage time is therefore a fundamental parameter.

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