In the test facility, complete systems are tested side-by-side under real weather conditions and realistic and well controlled consumption for domestic hot water and space heating. The auxiliary energy supply system can be anything, for example an electrical heater, a gas boiler, a pellet boiler or any type of heat pump.
The test facility can be used to test marketed systems and compare the thermal performance of the systems or the test facility can be used to carry out detailed investigations on new system types, new components, new operation strategies etc.
Typically, a numerical model of the system is worked out and validated against the measurements. The numerical model is used to predict the yearly thermal performance of the system. The numerical model is also used to predict how design changes and different control strategies influence the thermal performance of the system.