lämmönvaraajan

Lämpövaraaja, often translated as thermal storage tank or heat accumulator, is a device designed to store thermal energy. It typically consists of a well-insulated tank filled with a storage medium, most commonly water. The primary function of a lämpövaraaja is to absorb excess heat generated by a heating system and release it later when needed. This helps to optimize the performance of heating sources, particularly those that operate intermittently or produce heat more efficiently when running at full capacity, such as wood-fired boilers, solar thermal collectors, or heat pumps.

By storing heat, a lämpövaraaja can buffer temperature fluctuations, providing a more consistent and stable heat supply to a building. This stored heat can be used for space heating and domestic hot water. In systems with renewable energy sources like solar thermal, the lämpövaraaja plays a crucial role in storing solar energy captured during sunny periods for use during cloudy days or at night. For wood-fired boilers, it allows for longer burn times and more efficient combustion by absorbing heat that would otherwise be wasted. The insulation of the tank is critical to minimize heat loss and maintain the stored energy until it is required. The size and capacity of a lämpövaraaja are determined by the heating demand of the building and the output of the heat source.