Optimization of integrated energy systems considering seasonal thermal energy storage

Integrated energy system are an effective way to achieve sustainable energy development and build a low-carbon society. However, the combination of different units needs further investigation to determine the optimum configuration and operating strategy. To address the problem of large differences in user loads and renewable energy sources between seasons, a regionally integrated energy system, including the seasonal thermal energy storage system, is established. The seasonal thermal energy storage system is coupled with heat pumps and solar collectors. We optimize the planning and scheduling of each device in the integrated energy system on a planning horizon of one year. The results show that the integrated energy system with a ground source heat pump and seasonal thermal energy storage device can effectively reduce the cost of the operation planning by 9.1 %. The cost of purchased energy and carbon emissions have also been reduced by 23.4 % and 12.6 %, respectively. In addition, the study also found that the available area of solar radiation in a region influences the optimal configuration of the system. •A regional integrated energy system including the seasonal thermal energy storage system is established.•The combination of the seasonal thermal energy storage and the heat pump reduces the annual total cost about 9.1 %.•The ratio of the PV area and the ETC area increases gradually with the increasing of the available solar area.