Seasonal performance assessment of a dual source heat pump system for heating, cooling and domestic hot water production

Abstract

In order to contribute to a global CO2 emissions reduction in 2020, the increase in the use of highly efficient heat pumps for heating, cooling and domestic hot water production in buildings is very recommendable. In this direction, Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems are generally recognized as one of the most energy-efficient compared to air source heat pump systems. However, this strongly depends on the temperature evolution of the air and the ground during the year, which also depends on the geographical location of the system. Therefore, an optimal system from the energy point of view apparently would be the one that is able to switch from one source to the other in order to operate the heat pump with the highest efficiency.

In this context, a new Dual Source Heat Pump (DSHP) unit for heating, cooling and production of domestic hot water, was developed and manufactured in the framework of a H2020 European project called GEOT€CH (Geothermal Technology for €conomic Cooling and Heating). This paper presents the assessment of such a DSHP in different representative locations around Europe. For this purpose, an integrated system model in TRNSYS was developed to assess its performance for different thermal demand profiles obtained for the same building under different conditions.