Multi-source heat pump coupled with a photovoltaic thermal (PVT) hybrid solar collectors technology: a case study in residential application

Nowadays the heat pump technology is an efficient solution in the residential sector since it allows to reduce CO2 emissions and to exploit renewable energy sources. At the same time, the solar energy is the renewable source for excellence. In this study, different combinations of a photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector (PVT) and a multi-source heat pump for space heating and domestic hot water (DHW) production have been investigated. The air, solar and ground heat sources for the heat pump were analysed. The case study regards the heat demand of a single-family house building located in north-east of Italy. The considered system configurations have been investigated by means of the simulation tool TRNSYS coupled to a dedicated mathematical model for the estimation of the electrical and thermal performances of solar panels. This model is based on the equivalent electrical circuit. As a result, all the investigated multi-source systems reported an increase of energy efficiency between 14% and 26% compared to a standard air to water heat pump system. The system with air and solar sources has an energy efficiency equal to 3.64, slightly lower than that obtained for the more complex systems.