Demand response in buildings: Comparative study on energy flexibility potential of underfloor heating and air conditioning systems

IF 6.1 2区工程技术 Q2 ENERGY & FUELS

Applied Thermal Engineering Pub Date : 2025-05-12 DOI:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.126801

Qingrong Liu , Yongchun Liu , Fanyue Qian , Tingting Xu , Hua Meng , Yuting Yao , Yingjun Ruan

{"title":"Demand response in buildings: Comparative study on energy flexibility potential of underfloor heating and air conditioning systems","authors":"Qingrong Liu , Yongchun Liu , Fanyue Qian , Tingting Xu , Hua Meng , Yuting Yao , Yingjun Ruan","doi":"10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.126801","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Buildings consume significant energy, and their flexibility can be effectively harnessed through demand response (DR) programs to support grid stability. Underfloor heating and air conditioning systems are widely used in residential buildings but exhibit different thermal behaviors due to their distinct heat transfer mechanisms. However, there is a lack of systematic, quantitative comparison of their energy flexibility characteristics. This study combines real-world measurements and EnergyPlus simulations to evaluate the thermal response time and energy charging/discharging performance of both systems. Results show that under high-temperature conditions, compared to air conditioning, underfloor heating takes 100 %–300 % longer to raise the temperature by 1 °C, and 150 %–350 % longer to lower it. Over a 24-hour cycle with 12 preheating/discharging operations, the underfloor heating system releases 612 %-762 % more energy per square meter than air conditioning. In highly insulated buildings preheated for 1 h at 22 °C, the load reduction of underfloor heating exceeds that of air conditioning by 0.44–0.85. These findings reveal that underfloor heating offers superior load-shifting potential and energy flexibility. By fully utilizing its thermal storage capacity, enhancing building insulation, and optimizing preheating strategies, stored energy can be more effectively used during high-demand periods. The results provide a quantitative foundation for the selection and control of heating systems in future DR applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8201,"journal":{"name":"Applied Thermal Engineering","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 126801"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Applied Thermal Engineering","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359431125013936","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Buildings consume significant energy, and their flexibility can be effectively harnessed through demand response (DR) programs to support grid stability. Underfloor heating and air conditioning systems are widely used in residential buildings but exhibit different thermal behaviors due to their distinct heat transfer mechanisms. However, there is a lack of systematic, quantitative comparison of their energy flexibility characteristics. This study combines real-world measurements and EnergyPlus simulations to evaluate the thermal response time and energy charging/discharging performance of both systems. Results show that under high-temperature conditions, compared to air conditioning, underfloor heating takes 100 %–300 % longer to raise the temperature by 1 °C, and 150 %–350 % longer to lower it. Over a 24-hour cycle with 12 preheating/discharging operations, the underfloor heating system releases 612 %-762 % more energy per square meter than air conditioning. In highly insulated buildings preheated for 1 h at 22 °C, the load reduction of underfloor heating exceeds that of air conditioning by 0.44–0.85. These findings reveal that underfloor heating offers superior load-shifting potential and energy flexibility. By fully utilizing its thermal storage capacity, enhancing building insulation, and optimizing preheating strategies, stored energy can be more effectively used during high-demand periods. The results provide a quantitative foundation for the selection and control of heating systems in future DR applications.

查看原文本刊更多论文

建筑需求响应：地暖与空调系统能源灵活性潜力的比较研究

建筑物消耗大量能源，其灵活性可以通过需求响应（DR）计划有效利用，以支持电网稳定。地暖空调系统在住宅建筑中应用广泛，但由于其传热机理不同，表现出不同的热行为。然而，对它们的能量柔性特性缺乏系统、定量的比较。本研究结合了实际测量和EnergyPlus模拟来评估两种系统的热响应时间和能量充放电性能。结果表明，在高温条件下，与空调相比，地暖每升温1℃所需时间延长100% ~ 300%，降温时间延长150% ~ 350%。在24小时的循环中，通过12次预热/排放操作，地暖系统每平方米释放的能量比空调多612% - 762%。在高度隔热的建筑中，在22°C下预热1 h，地板下采暖的负荷减少比空调多0.44-0.85。这些发现表明地板采暖具有优越的负载转移潜力和能源灵活性。通过充分利用其蓄热能力，加强建筑保温，优化预热策略，可以更有效地利用储存的能量在高需求时期。研究结果为未来DR应用中加热系统的选择和控制提供了定量依据。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Applied Thermal Engineering 工程技术-工程：机械

CiteScore

11.30

自引率

15.60%

发文量

1474

审稿时长

57 days

期刊介绍： Applied Thermal Engineering disseminates novel research related to the design, development and demonstration of components, devices, equipment, technologies and systems involving thermal processes for the production, storage, utilization and conservation of energy, with a focus on engineering application. The journal publishes high-quality and high-impact Original Research Articles, Review Articles, Short Communications and Letters to the Editor on cutting-edge innovations in research, and recent advances or issues of interest to the thermal engineering community.