A method for analyzing heating systems with intermittent sources and seasonal thermal storage

One method of creating economic and environmentally advantageous heating systems is through the use of renewable and alternative heat sources. These are often intermittent and availability for immediate use is sometimes limited. This limitation can be reduced with seasonal thermal energy storage systems. An approach to analyze and compare performance, economic, and environmental aspects of various design options related to heating systems with seasonal thermal energy storage systems is presented. The approach permits the choice of subsystem models to be applied within the core model and offers added accuracy over rule of thumb estimates while providing a level of precision appropriate for general analysis.