Inside CCHRC: Thermal storage

79% of the energy consumption accounts for space heating in a single household in Alaska. This video explores the use of thermal storage to mitigate the cost of space heating while pursuing the use of renewable resources to heat the living space.

In the fall of 2013, a 25,000-gallon tank was buried next to the CCHRC building addition. The CCHRC aims to heat the new building without the use of fossil fuel. Bruno Grunau, CCHRC research engineer, explains that the thermal storage will provide 40 to 45% of heat required to heat the building. Grunau, also shows what consideration went into the use of thermal storage in his own home in Fairbanks.