Thermal Storage

Here at ALS, we are keen to help our customers improve their heating efficiency, and Thermal Storage is one such way with renewable heating technologies.

What Is A Thermal Store?

It is a way of storing and managing renewable heat until it’s required and here at
ALS we can offer advice about what would work best for you and your individual
circumstances.

They have a range of applications and can be used with individual renewable
heating technology or can be combined with several renewable heating
technologies.

Versatile

They can also be used in conjunction with a conventional boiler or immersion heater and can work with biomass boilers, heat pumps and solar water heating systems.

So, for example, in domestic house, hot water might be stored in an insulated cylinder. A thermal store allows warm water to be heated by the secondary heating source, so you’re not just using your primary source for heating.

A thermal store can include a heat exchanger or exchangers, normally in the form of internal coiled pipes or an external flat-plate heat exchangers. A thermal store might also include an electrical heating element, such as an immersion heater.

Purpose-Built

This can take inputs from a number of different sources particularly if it has been specially designed and sized to work in conjunction with these different sources. Here at ALS we would be delighted to create a bespoke system just for you.

Boiler Stoves

Many homes use stoves at peak times, say from 6pm until late evening. If a boiler stove and thermal store are correctly sized, then the house can be heated and sufficient hot water stored up for use the next morning, hopefully cutting out the need for lighting the stove first thing the next day.

Benefits

One of the main advantages is thermal stores help manage of the differentiation in time between when heat’s available and when it’s required.

So if you have hot water produced by a solar water heating system during daylight hours, then it can be stored for use when there is less solar energy available.

Thermal stores also allow warm water to be heated by another source such as a conventional boiler or an immersion. They also enable a renewable heating source to work efficiently, particular in the cases of pellets or a log boiler. This works by these appliances being used at maximum output so any excess heat would be ‘kept’ in the thermal store. A thermal store would also allow you to use a wood-burning boiler stove or similar at maximum efficiency without overpowering the room or house with heat. And if you use fossil fuels, then a thermal store could help reduce the amount of fuel you need to buy.

If you are unsure about the condition of your chimney, wish to conduct a survey, or want advice on the right lining for your chimney then please don’t hesitate to get in touch via our contact form.