CHESS-SETUP · Project

Solar-Powered Heating System With Seasonal Storage Cuts Building Energy Bills

energyPilotedTRL 7

Imagine your building could store summer sunshine underground and use it to heat your home in winter — like a thermal battery. That's what CHESS-SETUP built: a smart combination of solar panels that produce both electricity and heat, underground seasonal storage tanks, and high-efficiency heat pumps. The solar panels do double duty on your roof, which is especially useful in crowded cities where roof space is limited. They tested the whole thing in three real buildings across Spain and England, including 50 new homes.

By the numbers

Real-world pilot installations completed (Spain and England)

New dwellings equipped with the system in Corby, England

Consortium partners across the project

Countries represented in the consortium (DE, ES, FR, NL, UK)

SMEs in the consortium driving commercialization

Total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Buildings account for a massive share of energy consumption, and heating plus hot water are the biggest energy costs for property owners. In dense urban areas, limited roof space makes it hard to generate enough renewable energy on-site. Existing solar installations force a choice between electricity or heat — wasting half the potential of every square meter of rooftop.

The solution

What was built

The project built and tested a combined heating system using hybrid solar panels (producing both electricity and heat), seasonal underground heat storage, and optimized heat pumps. Three demonstration installations were completed: Lavola's office headquarters in Spain, a sport centre in Sant Cugat, Spain, and 50 new homes in Corby, England. A dedicated smart control system was developed to optimize operation based on electricity prices and user demand.

Audience

Who needs this

Property developers building energy-efficient residential complexesMunicipal district heating operators decarbonizing heat supplyFacility managers of commercial buildings with high heating costsArchitects designing net-zero or near-zero energy buildingsEnergy service companies (ESCOs) offering building retrofit packages

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Real estate & property development

mid-size

Target: Property developers building new residential or mixed-use complexes

If you are a property developer dealing with rising energy performance requirements and tenant demands for lower utility bills — this project developed and piloted a combined solar-heat pump system in 50 new dwellings in Corby, England. The system uses hybrid solar panels that generate both electricity and heat from the same roof space, paired with seasonal heat storage. For dense urban developments where roof area is limited, this dual-use approach maximizes energy output per square meter.

District heating & energy utilities

enterprise

Target: Municipal or private district heating operators

If you are a district heating provider struggling to decarbonize your heat supply while keeping costs competitive — this project tested a system that combines solar thermal collection, seasonal underground heat storage, and optimized heat pumps across 3 pilot sites in Spain and England. The smart control system adjusts operation based on electricity prices and user demand. The integration of biomass and waste heat was also explored, making it adaptable to different climate zones and existing infrastructure.

Commercial building management

any

Target: Facility managers of sports centres, office buildings, and public venues

If you are a facility manager dealing with high heating and hot water costs in large commercial buildings — this project piloted its combined solar-heat pump system at a sport centre in Sant Cugat, Spain, and at Lavola's office headquarters. The system was designed for energy self-sufficiency using hybrid PV-ST panels that supply both the electricity for pumps and the thermal energy for heating. A smart control and management system optimizes performance based on real-time conditions.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this system cost compared to conventional heating?

The project data does not include specific cost figures or payback periods. However, as an Innovation Action with 3 real-world pilots, economic viability was a core design criterion — the objective explicitly states the system must be 'profitable.' Contact the consortium for detailed cost-performance data from the pilot sites.

Can this scale to large residential or commercial developments?

Yes. The system was piloted at three different scales: a small office building (Lavola headquarters), a new sport centre (Sant Cugat), and 50 new dwellings (Corby, England). This range of pilot sizes demonstrates flexibility from single-building to multi-dwelling deployment. The consortium of 13 partners across 5 countries includes 9 industry players positioned to support rollout.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can I license the technology?

IP is distributed among the 13 consortium partners, coordinated by Agencia de Ecologia Urbana de Barcelona (Spain). With 8 SMEs and 9 industry partners in the consortium, commercial licensing pathways are likely already established. Direct engagement with the coordinator is the best route to discuss licensing terms.

Does this work in cold climates, not just sunny Spain?

The system was specifically designed and tested for different climate conditions — one of the 3 pilots was built in Corby, England, which has significantly less solar irradiation than Spain. The objective also mentions integration of biomass and waste heat sources to ensure suitability for any climate conditions.

How does the smart control system work?

The project developed a dedicated smart control and management system that optimizes operation based on external factors like electricity prices and user requirements. This means the system automatically decides when to use stored heat, when to run heat pumps, and when to draw on supplementary sources — maximizing efficiency without manual intervention.

What building regulations does this comply with?

Based on available project data, the system was designed and piloted under building regulations in both Spain and England (UK), suggesting compliance with EU energy performance standards. The Corby pilot of 50 new dwellings would have required full compliance with UK building regulations. Specific certifications should be confirmed with the consortium.

How long did the pilot installations take to build?

According to the deliverable timeline, the Lavola headquarters pilot was completed at month 33, Sant Cugat at month 35, and Corby at month 42 of the project. The staggered construction across 3 sites over roughly 9 months suggests a learning curve that shortened installation times with experience.

Consortium

Who built it

The CHESS-SETUP consortium is heavily industry-oriented: 9 out of 13 partners come from industry, and 8 are SMEs — giving a 69% industry ratio. This signals strong commercial intent rather than a purely academic exercise. With partners spread across 5 countries (Germany, Spain, France, Netherlands, UK), the system was tested under different regulatory environments and climate conditions. Only 1 university partner was involved, meaning the bulk of the work focused on engineering, building, and testing real installations rather than theoretical research. For a business buyer, this consortium composition suggests the technology is closer to a product than a paper.

AGENCIA DE ECOLOGIA URBANA DE BARCELONACoordinator · ES
LAVOLA 1981 SAUparticipant · ES
EUROGRANT GMBHparticipant · DE
AJUNTAMIENTO DE SANT CUGAT DEL VALLESparticipant · ES
VEOLIA SERVEIS CATALUNYA SOCIEDAD ANONIMA UNIPERSONALparticipant · ES
ELECTRIC CORBY COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANYparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTERparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

Agencia de Ecologia Urbana de Barcelona (Spain) — urban ecology and sustainability agency coordinating the project

Order a report on this consortium See AGENCIA DE ECOLOGIA URBANA DE BARCELONA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want pilot data, cost analysis, or an introduction to the CHESS-SETUP team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your building project.

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