Stored hot water for thermal flywheel

Weezbo

i have never seen that particular storage of KW type appliance..do you have a j peg or some data read sheet? Thanks.

Bill Stocky

Stored hot water for thermal flywheel

Does anyone have experience with buying off peak (night time) electricity (at let's say 3 cents/kWhr) and heating water at night and storing it in insulated tanks (1000 - 2000 gallon) so it can then be used for the rest of the days heating requirements? The temperature range of the stored water would be up to 180 deg and would then be circulated in the hydronic distribution system as needed. With nat gas as high as it has become off peak electric used in this manner might make sense.

Constantin

If you can manage the peak demand...

... that might make sense. Our local utility has, shall we say, punitive daytime prices for that rate plan. The savings you accumulate in the night could very well be negated by normal demand during the day.

For example, if you have a well-insulated, high mass home, you could use the thermal flywheel of the building materials for heating and cooling purposes. A subdivision built as an experiment by the AZ utility (IIRC) does just that, with no cooling units running during the day. A high-mass home would spare you the expense of a tank, the space for it, etc. something that VaTom over at Breaktime has used to his advantage for the time he's spent in his home.

hr

run the numbers

determine the KW/hr cost. Then the cost of a boiler and insulated storage tanks in that size.

There are formulas to calculate the btu or KWs needed to heat the water, as well as formulas for heat loss from a tank. Also factor in the cost of running the circs needed to move the energy around.

hot rod

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gary bettcher

Heat starage

I do lots of Off Peak heat storage and the savings is worth the cost of the unit. Instead of water the best is brick at temps. upto 1400 degrees then pull just what you need using a heat exchanger. The units I install are Steffes and work great.

Bill Stocky

Thermal Storage Unit

Thanks Gary, nice installation

So is there another heat exchanger between the hot bricks and the boiler and does this Steffes unit run in series with the primary boiler?

Bill

gary bettcher

mrstocky

Theres just one heat exchanger that takes the hot air and makes your hot water. There is no need for another boiler , that unit stores enough heat for a full day. These units also work as a forced air or combo hot air and hot water.

gary_16

steffes

Go to there web site ( steffes.com ) I think they have a great product.

adayton_2

HotRod, here some Specs

http://www.steffes.com/downloads/

Alfred

Bill Stocky

Heat pump

How does the Steffes heat storage unit work with a heat pump?

Tom R.

One way or the other

Much electricity is produced by burning gas and oil. How long do you think it will take for electric prices to catch up?

gary_16

heat pump, electric rate

These units work great with a heat pump. As for ele. rates they dont increase or jump as much as gas or oil, most power plants use coal or hydro in the U.S.