ADVANCES IN GEOTHERMAL RESPONSE TESTING

Abstract

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems and their applications are examined from the perspectives of energy, exergy, environmental impact, sustainability and economics. Reductions possible through TES in energy use and pollution levels are discussed in detail and highlighted with illustrative examples of actual systems. The importance of using exergy analysis to obtain more realistic and meaningful assessments, than provided by the more conventional energy analysis, of the efficiency and performance of TES systems is demonstrated. The results indicate that cold TES can play a significant role in meeting society’s preferences for more efficient, environmentally benign and economic energy use in various sectors, and appears to be an appropriate technology for addressing the mismatches that often occur between the times of energy supply and demand.