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Solar Photovoltaics integration with heat pump and thermal battery for residential sectors

A fully electrified grid-connected home with solar photovoltaics (PV), heat pump (HP), and thermal battery (TB) integrated system can not only increase the self-sufficiency and self-consumption of the system but also reduce dependence on the grid, sustainably store thermal energy, and reduce carbon emissions. This idea is implemented in this project with a goal to generate real-world results that help homeowners and policymakers understand the value of this integrated approach. It is about turning innovation into action, and showing that smart, sustainable homes are not just possible; they are powerful tools in building a cleaner future. This is not just about saving the planet, it is about giving homeowners better comfort, lower bills, and more control over their energy use.

This project is sponsored by

The Team

• A.G. Straatman, Professor and Chair of the Mechanical & Materials Engineering department at Western University
• Joshua Pearce, Thompson Chair in Innovation at the Ivey Business School and the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, Western University
• K. Siddiqui, Professor in Mechanical & Materials Engineering and Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Western University
• Carol Hunsberger Associate Professor of Geography and Environment, Western University

Objectives

• Integrate thermal batteries with residential PV+HP system.
• Analyze self-sufficiency, self-consumption, export/import to grid.
• Understand real-world system interactions under varying seasonal conditions.
• Develop data-driven recommendations for scaling up net-zero housing.
• Calculate energy performance and carbon emissions of the house.

Key Features

• Side-by-side comparison of PV+HP+TB implemented house vs traditional house.
• Real-time monitoring of thermal and electrical energy flows.
• Use of smart inverters, thermal storage, and PV integration.

Overview

The project aims to demonstrate and analyze net-zero residential housing in Ontario through the integration of the PV+HP+TB. By monitoring thermal and electrical loads in real time, the project offers a comparative evaluation of sustainable and traditional housing solutions to support Canada’s residential decarbonization goals.

The goal is to generate high-resolution, real-time consumption datasets, which are used to analyze energy performance and calculate carbon emissions over time. For this, two newly built houses located in Kilworth, Ontario (both houses are located across the street from each other) are taken for monitoring thermal (heating, cooling, and hot water) and electrical loads. To ensure a fair comparison, both houses are detached two-story buildings with basements, and each is occupied by two residents. The building envelopes and internal load profiles are kept similar to minimize variability.

The test home is grid-connected, fully electric, with the PV+HP+TB system implemented. The HP supplies for space heating and cooling of the house, whereas the TB supplies for both in-floor heating and the domestic hot water (DHW) demand. The TB is charged using the on-demand electric boiler. The PV supplies the loads of the house, and the excess generation is sent back to the grid. The traditional house uses HP to supply only the cooling load of the house, whereas the heating and DHW demand is supplied by a furnace and water heater, respectively, which run on the natural gas supply. Both houses are monitored using electrical meters to record the live electrical consumption. The test also uses a smart inverter to record the PV generation datasets.

Test Home Description & Configuration =

1. Cool House (PV + HP + TB):

This house represents a sustainable configuration, equipped with an integrated setup of solar PV, a heat pump, and a thermal battery.

• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System:
  • Capacity: 10.68 kW
  • Panels: 24 south-facing panels
  • Panel capacity: 445 Watts
  • Inverter capacity: 10 kW
• Space heating & cooling
  • System: Air-to-air heat pump (ASHP)- Capacity: 3 tons
  • SunAmp Thermino 80 i (TB)
    • Usage: Supplies domestic hot water and radiant floor heating
    • Charging: Charged via electric boiler
• Monitoring System
  • Sensors: Installed using Emporia Vue meters
  • Metrics: Records individual electrical loads across appliances and systems
  • Resolution: Live, minutely, hourly, daily, and monthly

2. Traditional House: This house follows a conventional configuration typical of Ontario homes, relying on fossil fuels for heating and hot water.

• Heating System: Natural gas furnace
• Cooling System: Air-to-air heat pump
• Hot Water System: Tankless natural gas water heater
• Monitoring System: Limited to electrical loads only

Status

The project is currently in the monitoring and data collection phase, with live energy tracking underway. Data is being analyzed to evaluate performance metrics over daily, seasonal, and annual cycles, with ongoing reporting on system efficiency and carbon reductions.

Future Goals

We are looking forward to expanding this research and exploring additional collaborations that promote sustainable housing, energy efficiency, and carbon reduction strategies. Our long-term vision includes scaling up net-zero ready designs across new residential developments and enhancing smart energy monitoring systems to better inform policy, system design, and community-level energy planning.

As part of this effort, we are actively seeking homeowners, builders, and developers who are interested in collaborating on similar energy setups involving solar PV, heat pumps, and thermal storage. If you are building a new home or retrofitting an existing one and would like to be part of this initiative, we welcome the opportunity to work together.