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Comparison of ground-coupled solar-heat-pump systems to conventional systems for residential heating, cooling and water heating. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5988720

An analysis is performed of ground-coupled stand-alone and series configured solar-assisted liquid-to-air heat pump systems for residences. The year-round thermal performance of these systems for space heating, space cooling, and water heating is determined by simulation and compared against non-ground-coupled solar heat pump systems as well as conventional heating and cooling systems in three geographic locations: Washington, DC, Fort Worth, Texas, and Madison, Wisconsin. The results indicate that without tax credits a combined solar/ground-coupled heat pump system for space heating and cooling is not cost competitive with conventional systems. Its thermal performance is considerably better than non-ground-coupled solar heat pumps in Fort Worth. Though the ground-coupled stand-alone heat pump provides 51 percent of the heating and cooling load with non-purchased energy in Fort Worth, its thermal performance in Washington and Madison is poor.

Research Organization:
Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA); Science Applications, Inc., McLean, VA (USA). Solar Technology Div.
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-77CH00178
OSTI ID:
5988720
Report Number(s):
SERI/TR-98288-2; ON: DE82003633
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English