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Comparative study on heating performance and economy of air source heat pump coupled with evacuated tube and flat plate collector respectively

Author

Listed:
  • Jia, Zijiao
  • Li, Jinping
  • Zhai, Panpan
  • Novakovic, Vojislav
  • Cao, Yadong

Abstract

Solar evacuated tube collector (ETC) and flat plate collector (FPC), as cost-effective technology for solar utilization, their integration with air source heat pump (ASHP) has shown potential for reducing heating cost. However, a comprehensive comparative study of performance and economy of ETC coupled with ASHP (ETC-ASHP) and FPC coupled with ASHP (FPC-ASHP) heating system is lacking. This study utilized experiment and TRNSYS simulation to compare the performance of ETC-ASHP and FPC-ASHP systems in a 120 m2 building. The results indicate that ETC-ASHP demonstrated better performance and stability. In contrast, FPC-ASHP responded more quickly to changes in solar radiation and ambient temperature enabling faster mode switch. In heating season, ETC-ASHP performed better than FPC-ASHP, with a 15.5 % higher heat collection efficiency, a 7.0 % higher energy efficiency ratio, saved 377 kW h of electricity, reduced dynamic payback period by 0.95 years, and additional reduction of 407 kg in CO2 emissions. ETC-ASHP and FPC-ASHP operated in ASHP, solar assisted heat pump (SAHP), and solar direct supply (SD) three heating modes with respective proportions of heating duration being 25.7 %, 46.5 %, 27.8 %, and 36.5 %, 47.7 %, 15.8 %. Based on the experiment and simulation results, the ETC-ASHP was more suitable for rural winter heating application in cold regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jia, Zijiao & Li, Jinping & Zhai, Panpan & Novakovic, Vojislav & Cao, Yadong, 2025. "Comparative study on heating performance and economy of air source heat pump coupled with evacuated tube and flat plate collector respectively," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:245:y:2025:i:c:s0960148125004215
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.122759
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    References listed on IDEAS

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