Feasibility study of thermochemical energy storage applied in Tibet, China

In the southwest border of China, there is Tibet, the ‘Roof of the world'. While its fragile environment is damaging due to widespread utilisation of biomass in its domestic sector. However, Tibet has abundant solar energy, posing a huge potential for its utilisation in domestic sector to tackle the environmental issues and maintain healthy indoor environment. As a diurnal resource, energy storage systems are critical. Over the last decade, thermochemical energy storage (TCES), as a version of thermal energy storage, is taking a surge in research of solar energy storage owing to the advantages of high energy density and ambient temperature storage without degradation. However, some challenges remain to be addressed including suitable environmental conditions and materials, relatively high capital cost and system complexity. In this paper, a feasibility study of TCES applied in Tibetan climate is conducted. It demonstrates the suitability of TCES in Tibet, reviews thermochemical materials for building applications and analyses the required storage volume to fully compensate the heating demand of a typical Tibetan home in winter. Additionally, an analysis is conducted on TCES's economical and CO2 savings comparing against electric heaters, air conditioners and natural gas boilers that are the popular heating methods in Tibet.