For photovoltaic (PV) systems to become fully integrated into networks, efficient and cost-effective energy storage systems must be utilized together with intelligent demand side management. As the global solar photovoltaic market grows beyond 76 GW, increasing onsite consumption of power generated by PV technology will become important to maintain electricity grid stability. This review paper provides the first detailed breakdown of all types of ener. For photovoltaic (PV) systems to become fully integrated into networks, efficient and cost-effective energy storage systems must be utilized together with intelligent demand side management. As the global solar photovoltaic market grows beyond 76 GW, increasing onsite consumption of power generated by PV technology will become important to maintain electricity grid stability. This review paper provides the first detailed breakdown of all types of energy storage systems that can be integrated with PV encompassing electrical and thermal energy storage systems. The integration of PV-energy storage in smart buildings is discussed together with the role of energy storage for PV in the context of future energy storage developments.••PhotovoltaicPhase Change Material (PCM)Thermal Energy Storage (TES)ConcentrationOver the past decade, global installed capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) has dramatically increased as part of a shift from fossil fuels towards reliable, clean, efficient and sustainable fuels (Kousksou et al., 2014, Santoyo-Castelazo and Azapagic, 2014). PV technology integrated with energy storage is necessary to store excess PV power generated for later use when required. Energy storage can help power networks withstand peaks in demand allowing transmission and distribution grids to operate efficiently. In terms of shorter periods of storage, it can be effective for smoothing out short peaks and distortions in voltage (Hadjipaschalis et al., 2009).Energy storage technologies can be classified as electrical, thermal and mechanical (Baker, 2008, Ibrahim et al., 2008, Makarov et al., 2008, Schoenung and Hassenzahl, 2001). Electrical Energy Storage (EES) technologies include:•●Supercapacitors (electrochemical capacitors): sometimes referred to as “electric double-layer” capacitors and appear under names such as “Supercapacitor” or “Ultracapacitor.” The phrase “double-layer” refers to their ability to physically store electrical charge at a surface-electrolyte interface of high-surface-area c. 2.1. Electrical Energy Storage (EES)Electrical Energy Storage (EES) refers to a process of converting electrical energy into a form that can be stored for converting back to electrical energy when required. The conjunction of PV systems with battery storage can maximize the level of self-consumed PV electricity. With a battery system, the excess PV electricity during the day is stored and later used at night. In this way, households equipped with a PV battery system can reduce the energy drawn from the grid to therefore increase their self-sufficiency (Weniger et al., 2014). PV battery systems thus reduce the dependence of residential customers on the central grid as well as reducing carbon emissions.The solar thermal energy stored in the PCM in the BIPV can provide a heating source for a Heat Pump (HP) to provide high temperature heat for domestic heat supply. Underfloor heating is an efficient and economical method for home heating which can use the low temperature heat supply from HPs. Research on the application of a heat pump with integrated phase change material for underfloor heating has shown that this can save operating costs and improve the thermal comfort (Huang and Hewitt, 2015). A research of collecting low temperature heat from BIPV-PCM for HP evaporator heat supply and then providing high temperature heat for domestic heat supply was carried out (Huang, 2016). The supplied heat by the HP is used for PCM layered underfloor heating system. The schematic diagram in Fig. 33 shows the process of extracting solar heat from BIPV-PCM through the cycling copper pipes and used for the underfloor heating system (Huang, 2016). HP can extract the low temperature solar thermal energy stored in the BIPV-PCM system and provide high temperature hot water for a underfloor heating system in the residential buildings. PCMs incorporated into solar energy thermal storage or underfloor heating systems in buildings may be suitable for absorbing solar energy directly or storing the heat from the HP during off peak time. One of the main barriers for this application is how to improve the low thermal conductivity of the PCM in order to achieve a quick thermal response with longer thermal store performa.
