Introduction
NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research & Development Authority ) program called NEXTGEN Building Innovation has a goal to help New York State achieve a carbon neutral economy, with at least an 85% reduction of greenhouse gases (from a 1990 baseline) by 2050.
As part of this mission, Sunamp’s thermal storage technology is being deployed to help electrify and decarbonize residential heating and hot water systems across New York.
One such project is a space-constrained studio apartment in Brooklyn, NYC, where Sunamp displaced an traditional gas-fired combi boiler by integrating modern Thermino thermal battery solution providing both hot water and space-heating to make the compact apartment more energy-efficient and resilient.
The challenge
This studio apartment previously relied on an old gas-fired wall-mounted boiler to provide hot water and heating. Like many older buildings, it faced challenges in meeting modern sustainability standards.
Comparing the two systems
Existing system
Fossil fuel-fired wall-mounted boiler
Sunamp solution
We installed a Sunamp Thermino 80i (P58) thermal battery, paired with an integrated 2.8 kW electrical resistance heating element.
The Thermino provides a dual function: it stores energy for space heating and domestic hot water, ensuring the apartment remains comfortable year-round while significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Charging of the thermal battery was limited to time windows from 18:00 to 06:00 to make use of the off-peak tariff.
Monitoring & Results
Key benefits & Impact
Displacing the combi boiler:
Thermino heat battery replaced the combi boiler and now provides both space heating and domestic hot water, offering a complete energy solution for the apartment while dramatically reducing fossil fuel use. Thanks to the game-changing PCM technology, Thermino is compact and cuboid, perfect for the space-constrained city studio apartment.
Cutting emissions:
By eliminating the need for a gas-fired boiler, the thermal battery helped cut greenhouse gas emissions. As the carbon emissions associated with electricity generation are 32% lower than those from natural gas combustion, this transition marked a significant step toward a more sustainable future.
Grid flexibility & load shifting: Coupling the battery with a control system to regulate its energy consumption based on the time of day holds significant potential for future load shifting and peak demand reduction. This has a further impact on energy system resilience.
