KOICA CTS Seed 1
Transforming residential heating in Mongolia with clean thermal energy storage
Project Summary
Technical Notes
- The site was Tsetserleg City, Arkhangai Province, Mongolia.
- The project made a big success, leading to the next project KOICA CTS Seed 2.
Project Overview
Storing Electricity as Heat for Residential Heating
IsoTES® transforms residential heating by storing electricity as thermal energy, eliminating the need for coal-fired boilers. This solution is particularly effective in regions like Mongolia where coal-based heating causes significant environmental and economic problems, while abundant solar PV potential remains underutilized during daytime hours.
Background & Challenges
Background
Mongolia is one of the best places for solar PV
- Excellent weather and geographical conditions for solar energy
- But solar is only available during daytime
Challenges
Coal-based residential heating causes multiple problems
- Purchase and logistics cost of coal
- Waste handling
- Air pollution tax
- Salary for 3-shift workers in bad working conditions
- All costs increasing year on year
Solution and Values delivered by IsoTES®
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IsoTES® stores electricity from solar PV in daytime and releases it as heat for residential heating at nighttime
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This solution is cost-effective, removing all problems caused by coal-fired residential heating
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Takes advantage of the abundant solar PV opportunities in Mongolia
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This concept can be applied to other areas with similar conditions
System Transformation
How IsoTES® converts existing infrastructure
Residential heating based on coal boiler
Air pollution, high OPEX, manual labor required
Residential heating based on IsoTES®
Clean, automated, zero emissions
Project Video
See the KOICA CTS Seed 1 project in action
Key Values
Features and benefits of this solution
Key Features
- Store electricity from solar PV or grid during daytime
- Release heat for residential heating at nighttime
- Full automation with no manual operation
- Scalable from single buildings to communities
Benefits
- No coal (purchase, transport, waste, pollution, tax)
- Full automation - no 3-shift workers needed
- Negligible OPEX compared to coal boilers
- Applicable to similar regions worldwide
Project Impact
Measurable results from the pilot deployment
Status & Plan
A 1.5 MWh demonstration project was successfully delivered in March, 2025
The next project is launched in November, 2025 aiming at deployment of commercial scale IsoTES® for this purpose
KOICA has been supporting both projects
Related Technology
Learn more about the IsoTES® systems used in this project
Interested in Similar Solutions?
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