Renewable energy storing

Abstract

A heat buffering system that has a hydrant boiler for storing energy and a hut for housing the hydrant boiler outside a building being heated using the energy stored in the hydrant boiler. The hut is insulated. The system has a heat source coupling for connecting a local solar energy collector to the hydrant boiler. Heat is stored in the hydrant boiler in separately controllable layers. Heat is transferred from one of the layers to at least one other layer. A controller is configured to control charging and discharging of the hydrant boiler based on the weather forecast. Buffered energy can be used for heating the building or for selling to others via district heating.

1 . A system comprising:
 a hydrant boiler configured to store heat energy for a building;   a hut configured to house the hydrant boiler, wherein the hut is separated by insulation from the building;   a heat source coupling configured to connect a solar energy collector to the hydrant boiler;   a controller configured to control charging and discharging of the hydrant boiler;   stratification means configured to functionally divide the hydrant boiler into a plurality of separately controllable layers; and   inter-layer heat transfer means configured to transfer heat from one of the separately controllable layers to at least one other layer.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the charging and discharging of the hydrant boiler by the controller comprises controlling the inter-layer heat transfer system. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a solar energy harvester comprising a group of heliostats configured to reflect insolation to an insolation collector. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a desired solar charging power and to control the group of heliostats to reflect insolation to the insolation collector to a degree dependent on the desired solar charging power. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a weather forecast and to control the group of heliostats based on the weather forecast. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the solar energy harvester comprises a roof installation mount configured to enable roof installation independent of roof shape. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrant boiler is configured to receive heat via the heat source coupling with maximum temperature that is greater than 120° C. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrant boiler is configured to store heat energy so that during a first period of time, hot water is stored in the hydrant boiler for heating of the building, and during a second period of time, cold water is stored in the hydrant boiler for cooling the building or a portion thereof; wherein the first and second periods are same; different; or partly overlapping. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the online heater to charge the hydrant boiler based on at least one of: weather forecast; online energy availability forecast; online energy source and online energy price forecast. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the top of the hydrant boiler and the top of sides of the hydrant boiler are insulated by a continuous layer of insulating material. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrant boiler is configured to store, when fully charged, sufficient heat for heat consumption of the building during wintertime for at least 48 hours. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrant boiler is configured to store water in up to 10 bars pressure. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 storing heat energy in a hydrant boiler for a building;   housing the hydrant boiler in a hut that is separated by insulation from the building;   primarily receiving and storing heat from a solar energy collector to the hydrant boiler;   secondarily receiving and storing heat from an online energy source;   controlling charging and discharging of the hydrant boiler;   functionally dividing the hydrant boiler into a plurality of separately controllable layers; and   transferring heat from one of the separately controllable layers to at least one other layer.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the controlling of the charging and discharging of the hydrant boiler comprises controlling the inter-layer heat transfer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the storing of heat energy in the hydrant boiler is performed so that during a first period of time, hot water is stored in the hydrant boiler for heating of the building, and during a second period of time, cold water is stored in the hydrant boiler for cooling the building or a portion thereof; wherein the first and second periods are same; different; or partly overlapping 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , the method further comprising:
 the controlling of the charging of the hydrant boiler comprising determine a desired solar charging power for the receiving of heat from the solar energy collector; and   reflecting insolation to the solar energy collector with a group of heliostats to an extent dependent on the desired solar charging power.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the receiving of heat from the solar energy collector is performed with maximum temperature that is greater than 120° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the storing of heat is performed by storing water or other heat transfer medium in up to 10 bars pressure. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises obtaining a weather forecast and in that the controlling of the charging and discharging of the hydrant boiler is based on the weather forecast. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises obtaining a consumption forecast and in that the controlling of the charging and discharging of the hydrant boiler is based on the consumption forecast.