Wednesday 10:35-11:35 Session 2A General Overviews PROMOTING TES SYSTEMS IN SWEDEN

Swedish nuclear plants are slowly being shut down as a result of a referendum in 1980. This was one starting point for the thermal energy storage (TES) expansion in Sweden. Now, the new EU directive on energy efficient buildings forces HVAC engineers and civil engineers to look for new methods to reduce electricity consumption and to improve energy performance in new and existing buildings. This offers another platform for the promotion of TES technology in Europe. Ground source heat pumps for single family houses have become increasingly popular in Sweden during the last decades and are now one of the most common heating systems in Sweden, covering about 15% of the total space heating demand. Several hundred larger TES systems were taken into operation during the last decade. However, TES technology is still “unconventional” since most HVAC engineers and estate owners lack knowledge and experience of TES. More education is needed. This should be done through courses and workshops, books, media contacts, and efficient lobbying preferably in cooperation with the HVAC sector. The non-profit organization Swedish Society of HVAC Engineers (SWEDVAC) has since 2002 been active in bridging the gap between TES experts, HVAC engineers, and practitioners. This paper summarizes the TES expansion in Sweden and suggests some explanations for its rapid growth. It also demonstrates recent efforts to make HVAC engineers, practitioners, and property owners advocate and suggest TES systems as a standard option for space heating and cooling. The long-term aim is to make TES a conventional technique in implementing the EU directive.