The Plug&Play energy hub, also known as PPEH

Eurac Research and Thermics are working together on the industrialization of a number of Energy Hub modules, which are called Plug&Play Energy Hub (PPEH). This research will highlight the fact that their use allows to quickly implement and easily manage efficient heating and cooling system (e.g. HP-based, solar assisted).

The development of the Plug&Play Energy Hub modules continues in the framework of 4RinEU taking advantage of the work carried out in iNSPiRe.

Within the iNSPiRe project, a multi-purpose hydronic module called Energy Hub (EH), has been conceived to be used in the construction of modern heating and cooling system. The module has been designed and its prototype has been realized and tested in Eurac Research labs. The first industrial production of the modules has been installed in a demo site, a multi-family residential building located in Madrid. Thanks to the EH modules, Eurac researchers are currently monitoring the demo building and are using the collected information to optimize both the design of the EH modules and the control of the system.

Some lessons learnt from the iNSPiRe demo are currently used by Thermics to modify the design of the units, in particular the number and type of sensors required by each PPEH, their insulation, their sizing and the way the modules are connected together. Thermics is also working to find the best partners to set-up the most convenient supply chains of the PPEH components.

Another important point managed by Thermics is the certification of the thermal measurements carried out by the PPEHs. The idea is to launch on the market a product that respect the EU Measurement Instruments Directive (MID) and support the prescriptions of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED).

Eurac Research is focusing on the development of the so called Energy Magar (EM) unit, the electronic module for managing, controlling and collecting data from all PPEH units in one installation. Moreover, Eurac Research has identified the key upgrades to be applied on the Energy Hub electronics in order to improve the quality of measurement, the robustness and usability of the board.

At the end of this preliminary industrialization phase, Thermics will manufacture the new PPEH prototype(s) to be tested in both Eurac labs and production site. The results of the test on the prototype(s) will be used by Thermics to optimize the final design and manufacturing process of the PPEH and by Eurac Research to characterize the behaviour of the modules for modelling purposes.

Both partners are currently working with all the Local Demo Working Groups (LDWG) to identify the best way to employ the modules in the renovation of their respective buildings. It is expected that, at the end of the project, Thermics will bring the product to the market and will provide the fully industrialized PPEH units required to perform the renovation of the 4RinEU Demo-Cases.