Optimization of Thermal Production Systems: Maximizing the Efficiency of Heat Pumps and Thermal Storage
Following our previous article on optimizing thermal comfort at the zone level, we continue to explore how smart energy management can improve the energy performance of buildings, this time focusing on thermal production systems for HVAC and heating.
In this article, we present the Thermal Production Units Optimizer, a solution developed by R2M’s R&D&I department, designed to maximize the efficiency of heat pumps, cascade systems, and thermal storage. Through advanced optimization strategies, the tool enables reduced electricity consumption, better utilization of available renewable energy, and operation of equipment under its most efficient conditions, both in existing buildings and during the design phase of new facilities.
Toward More Efficient Management of Air Conditioning and Heating Systems
A building’s heating and cooling systems (heat pumps, boilers) do not always operate at peak efficiency. The way they are typically controlled causes them to consume more energy than is necessary to achieve the desired temperature. R2M’s Thermal Production Units Optimizer addresses this problem with two complementary approaches. When multiple units operate in a cascade configuration, the optimizer analyzes how the coefficient of performance (COP) varies with partial load to determine the optimal activation threshold for each unit, maximizing the system’s overall efficiency. When thermal storage is also present, dynamic optimization goes a step further: it leverages the tank’s thermal inertia to shift loads to more favorable times—whether due to lower electricity rates or greater availability of renewable energy—thereby decoupling heat or cooling production from the building’s immediate demand.
Tangible results and measurable benefits in operations and design
The solution has been validated in a real-world heating project using cascaded heat pumps. The results show reductions of up to 13.8% in electricity consumption compared to conventional operation, while maintaining full demand coverage at all times. The key lies in keeping the heat pumps operating near their optimal partial-load point, where the COP is highest, rather than forcing them to run at full load.
When the system also includes thermal storage, dynamic optimization allows for shifting loads to times that are most favorable in terms of electricity rates or renewable energy availability, achieving energy savings during peak hours of between 12% and 26% without compromising comfort or hot water availability.
Furthermore, this methodology can be applied as early as the system design phase: knowing actual consumption with optimized operation allows for determining the optimal number of units to install. The solution requiring the lowest initial investment is not always the most cost-effective in the medium term; with the optimized cascade, a configuration of multiple lower-capacity units can recoup the investment difference in significantly less time.
You can read more about the applications of the Thermal Production Units Optimizer in the article: Heuristic mathematical optimization of heat pumps in cascade to reduce energy consumption or by writing to us at contacto@r2msolution.es
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