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Domestic Hot Water & Space Heating Storage

Buffer tanks for boiler cycling, off-peak charging, solar integration.

10 min read · Jacob Willis, Net Zero Lead · Last reviewed July 2026


The most common thermal storage in any building is for domestic hot water and space heating. Done well, these stores cut energy bills, enable low-carbon heat, and keep plant running efficiently, and they are increasingly essential rather than optional as buildings move to heat pumps. This lesson covers hot-water storage, buffering space heating, the heat-pump partnership, solar thermal integration, and off-peak electric heating.

In this lesson

  • 01Domestic hot water storage
  • 02Buffering space heating
  • 03The heat-pump partnership
  • 04Solar thermal and off-peak electric
  • 05Sources and further reading