Solar/gas Rankine/Rankine-cycle heat pump assessment

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6480361

Khalifa, H E; Melikian, G

A study of the commercial feasibility of solar-augmented gas-fired Rankine/Rankine-cycle heat pump for multi-family or light commercial space-conditioning applications suggests that today's Rankine-cycle gas-fired heat pumps provide significant energy savings over competitive energy systems throughout most parts of the US but are only marginally attractive on a live-cycle cost basis. For Solar augmentation, the most promising location is in the Midwest, where high heating loads and high solar insolation levels coupled with high gas and electricity prices make the solar-assisted gas-fired heat pump potentially superior to competing systems, including the non-solar gas-fired heat pump. However, for the Rankine-cycle solar-assisted heat pump to achieve significant market penetration, the non-solar version must first be made commercially available. Then, a solar-assisted gas-fired heat pump could become economically attractive if the cost of solar equipment is substantially reduced or if tax credits continue to be available.

• Research Organization: United Technologies Corp., East Hartford, CT (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6480361
• Report Number(s): PB-82-254863
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320100 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Buildings
AIR CONDITIONERS
COMMERCIALIZATION
ELECTRIC POWER
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GAS HEAT PUMPS
GASES
HEAT PUMPS
HEATING SYSTEMS
MARKETING RESEARCH
NATURAL GAS
POWER
RANKINE CYCLE
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONERS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR-ASSISTED HEAT PUMPS
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES