It is important for a shopping centres heating system to be energy-efficient and cost-effective, as this leads to significant savings. By reducing operational costs, greater long-term profits can be achieved. Additionally, it supports sustainability, as cost-effective heating reduces carbon emissions, contributing to environmental protection. Proper heating ensures customer comfort, which enhances the shopping experience and helps increase traffic.
In previous articles, we examined the heating of hotel buildings. Now, let's explore the impact of the Intelligent Thermal Battery on shopping centres, where the consumption profile differs.
The figure shows the change of the heating profile over the course of a day, with and without HeatTank Intelligent Thermal Battery. It can be observed that compared to hotels, the curve shape is similar, but the peak is much higher, and the heating period is shorter. The heating system does not operate between 4 AM and 11 PM, as it does in hotels, but rather during a shorter period, typically from 8 AM to 7 PM.
The Intelligent Thermal Battery is charged after the night-time heating reduction starts, using the heat remaining in the system due to the lower internal temperature maintained by the heating system. In addition, the boiler can be operated at an optimal part load in the evening, so the Thermal Battery can be charged with optimal efficiency if it is not fully charged yet.
The morning start-up requires more heating power to heat the building, and also the outside temperature is low, so the boiler has to operate with higher water temperature. During this period, the heating efficiency is not optimal and energy savings can be achieved with the Thermal Battery.
In some cases, the Thermal Battery can be charged for a second time during daytime hours (when heating energy can be produced with good efficiency) and the evening peak can be covered by the Thermal Battery when the heating efficiency is significantly lower.
The HeatTank Intelligent Thermal Storage is operating, among other places, in a Hungarian shopping centre, where the annual energy used for heating is 160,000 kWh/year.
The efficiency of the boiler depends on the heating temperature (which varies according to the weather; the heating temperature is higher when the outside temperature is lower) and the partial load of the boiler (its utilization). With the help of the Thermal Battery, the boiler operates at its optimal efficiency.
By using a single HeatTank 50-1 Intelligent Thermal Battery, nearly 20% of the annual energy consumption can be saved.
The measured data shows that the Thermal Battery is charged twice during the day, with a boiler operating at good efficiency under high outside temperatures, and again in the evening after the heating reduction. The energy savings occur during the morning startup and the afternoon peak.