Electric and Thermal Heating Systems for Use in Household in the South of Europe: A Comparison Study

Abstract

The heating of houses is an energy intensive commodity. The rise of renewable and intermediate energy sources will have an impact on grid reliability. Considering these factors, the local production of residential heating could be a beneficial supplement for energy resources. In this paper, the housing situation in the south of Europe is considered for improvement. A comparison study is presented for the two main heating systems using models in Simulink. The two considered heating systems are the thermal heating system (that includes the thermal solar panels, heat storage and gas boiler) and the electric heating system (that includes electric photovoltaic panels, lithium battery and heat pump). It is found that the thermal heating system is the better cost-effective solution for southern European housing. The electric heating system if found to has a higher efficiency, but comes at a higher cost for material and technological reasons.