RealValue · Project

Smart Heating Storage That Cuts Energy Bills and Earns Revenue from the Grid

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Imagine your home heater could act like a rechargeable battery — storing cheap electricity when it's abundant and releasing warmth when you need it, without you noticing any difference. That's exactly what RealValue built: smart storage heaters and hot water tanks that charge up when electricity is cheapest or when the grid has excess wind power. They tested this in 1250 real homes across Germany, Latvia, and Ireland. The clever part is that thousands of these heaters can be grouped together and managed as one giant virtual battery, helping keep the electricity grid stable while saving homeowners money.

By the numbers

1250

homes with live demonstrations across 3 countries

55GW

existing electric thermal storage load replaceable across the EU

93GW

additional direct electric resistance heater load addressable

consortium partners across 5 countries

countries with physical demonstration trials (Germany, Latvia, Ireland)

demo deliverables including user interfaces and monitoring hardware

The business problem

What needed solving

Electricity grids are under growing pressure from renewable energy sources that produce power unpredictably. At the same time, millions of European homes use simple electric heaters and hot water tanks that waste energy by running at the wrong times. There is no easy way for utilities and grid operators to tap into this massive distributed heating load — estimated at 55GW for storage heaters and 93GW for resistance heaters across the EU — to balance supply and demand.

The solution

What was built

The project built and deployed Smart Electric Thermal Storage (SETS) units — intelligent replacements for standard electric heaters and water tanks — in 1250 homes across Germany, Latvia, and Ireland. Deliverables include customer user interfaces for homeowners, behavioural monitoring hardware, and reliability assessment tools, all connected through an aggregation platform that bundles individual heaters into a controllable virtual load for grid services.

Audience

Who needs this

Energy aggregators and demand response service providersElectric heating equipment manufacturers looking to add smart grid capabilitiesDistribution and transmission network operators managing grid congestionEnergy utilities seeking new flexibility products for their residential customersSmart home and building automation companies expanding into energy management

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Energy utilities and aggregators

enterprise

Target: Electricity retailers or demand response aggregators

If you are an energy aggregator looking to offer grid balancing services — this project demonstrated how Smart Electric Thermal Storage in 1250 homes across 3 countries can be bundled into a controllable virtual load. The system proved that small-scale domestic storage can deliver system services and price arbitrage through existing energy market structures, creating a new revenue stream without building large infrastructure.

Heating equipment manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Electric heater or water tank manufacturers

If you are a heating equipment manufacturer competing against gas boilers — this project developed a direct replacement for existing electric thermal storage heaters covering a combined load of 55GW across the EU. Glen Dimplex led development of smart-enabled heaters with user interfaces and reliability assessment tools, validated in real homes across 3 countries. This gives you a product roadmap to turn basic heaters into grid-connected smart devices.

Electricity distribution and transmission

enterprise

Target: Distribution network operators or transmission system operators

If you are a network operator struggling with grid congestion from rising electrification — this project demonstrated with partners ESBN and EirGrid how aggregated domestic thermal storage can provide demand response across 1250 homes. The technology addresses a potential controllable load of 55GW (existing storage heaters) plus 93GW (direct electric heaters) across the EU, offering a cheaper alternative to grid reinforcement.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy this smart storage technology?

The project data does not disclose per-unit hardware costs. However, SETS is designed as a direct replacement for existing electric thermal storage heaters and water tanks, meaning the cost comparison is against conventional heating equipment — not an add-on investment. Contact the coordinator Glen Dimplex for commercial pricing.

Can this scale beyond the 1250-home trial?

The project specifically used modelling and virtual simulation to validate commercial potential at scale across millions of homes in representative EU regions. The addressable market covers 55GW of existing electric thermal storage load and an additional 93GW of direct electric resistance heaters across the EU. The technology is designed for mass deployment, not just pilot scale.

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

Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation Ireland led the consortium and is the primary technology developer along with Intel for the ICT components. As an Innovation Action with a 56% industry ratio, IP is likely retained by the industrial partners. Licensing enquiries should go through Glen Dimplex directly.

Does this technology comply with current energy regulations?

The project included thorough research to inform EU regulation and policy decision makers. Business models were developed within existing energy market structures, and barriers to grid integration were explicitly identified. Regulatory alignment was a core project objective.

How long did it take from development to real-world testing?

The project ran from June 2015 to May 2018 — a 3-year timeline that included technology development, deployment in 1250 homes across Germany, Latvia, and Ireland, behavioural analysis, and business model validation. The demonstrations produced 6 demo deliverables including user interfaces and monitoring hardware.

How does this integrate with existing heating systems and the grid?

SETS is designed as a direct drop-in replacement for existing electric thermal storage heaters and water tanks. It integrates with smart metering infrastructure and can work alongside district heating and micro-generation. Network operators ESBN and EirGrid were consortium partners, ensuring grid compatibility.

Is there ongoing technical support or follow-up activity?

The project ended in May 2018. Glen Dimplex has continued developing smart heating products commercially. For current product availability and support, contact Glen Dimplex directly. The project website at realvalueproject.com may contain archived documentation.

Consortium

Who built it

The 16-partner consortium across 5 countries is heavily industry-driven at 56% — a strong signal of commercial intent. It covers the full energy value chain: Glen Dimplex (heating manufacturer) and Intel (ICT) handle technology, ESBN and EirGrid provide grid operator validation, MVV and SSE bring utility-side demand, while UCD, DIW, RTU, Oxford, and VTT contribute modelling and market expertise. With 9 industry partners and zero SMEs, this is a big-company consortium built for deployment at scale, not academic research. The involvement of both grid operators and utilities means the technology was tested against real market conditions, not just lab scenarios.

GLEN DIMPLEX HEATING & VENTILATION IRELAND UNLIMITED COMPANYCoordinator · IE
ESB NETWORKS LTDparticipant · IE
RIGAS TEHNISKA UNIVERSITATEparticipant · LV
SSE AIRTRICITY LTDparticipant · IE
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLINparticipant · IE
MVV ENERGIE AGparticipant · DE
TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OYparticipant · FI
INTEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IRELAND LIMITEDparticipant · IE
DEUTSCHES INSTITUT FUR WIRTSCHAFTSFORSCHUNG DIW (INSTITUT FUR KONJUNKTURFORSCHUNG) EVparticipant · DE
THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORDparticipant · UK
EIRGRID PLCparticipant · IE

How to reach the team

Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation Ireland — contact through their commercial channels or via SciTransfer for a warm introduction

Order a report on this consortium See GLEN DIMPLEX HEATING & VENTILATION IRELAND UNLIMITED COMPANY profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore smart thermal storage for your grid services portfolio or product line? SciTransfer can connect you with the RealValue team and provide a tailored technology brief. Contact us to start the conversation.

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