[2603.28217] An Optimal Battery-Free Approach for Emission Reduction by Storing Solar Surplus in Building Thermal Mass

Electrical Engineering and Systems Science > Systems and Control arXiv:2603.28217 (eess) [Submitted on 30 Mar 2026] Title:An Optimal Battery-Free Approach for Emission Reduction by Storing Solar Surplus in Building Thermal Mass Authors:Michela Boffi, Jessica Leoni, Fabrizio Leonforte, Mara Tanelli, Paolo Oliaro View a PDF of the paper titled An Optimal Battery-Free Approach for Emission Reduction by Storing Solar Surplus in Building Thermal Mass, by Michela Boffi and 4 other authors View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Decarbonization in buildings calls for advanced control strategies that coordinate on-site renewables, grid electricity, and thermal demand. Literature approaches typically rely on demand side management strategies or on active energy storage, like batteries. However, the first solution often neglects carbon-aware objectives, and could lead to grid overload issues, while batteries entail environmental, end-of-life, and cost concerns. To overcome these limitations, we propose an optimal, carbon-aware optimization strategy that exploits the building's thermal mass as a passive storage, avoiding dedicated batteries. Specifically, when a surplus of renewable energy is available, our strategy computes the optimal share of surplus to store by temporarily adjusting the indoor temperature setpoint within comfort bounds. Thus, by explicitly accounting for forecasts of building energy consumption, solar production, and time-varying grid carbon intensity, our strategy...