Technical and Economic Analysis of the External Surface Heating System on the Example of a Car Park

In winter, for our own safety, as well as for the comfort of the user, we are obliged to remove or mitigate the defects related to the accumulation of snow and ice on flat surfaces, such as: pavements, stairs, driveways, parking lots, roofs, squares, or sports fields. Snow and ice from these surfaces can be removed by a variety of methods. Chemical, mechanical, or heating methods are most often used. Mechanical and manual methods cannot always be used. They also often do not allow the complete removal of snow and ice from the surface. In chemical methods, the chemicals used can have a negative impact on the environment and the surface itself. Heating external surfaces using electric heating cables or liquid-filled pipes is one of the safest and most effective ways to remove snow and ice from the available methods. The article presents a technical concept of a car park heating system with the use of various heating systems. The main thesis of the work is the possibility of using heating systems to maintain the quality of external parking spaces in winter. The authors tried to prove that it is possible to use a number of heating systems based on commonly known energy carriers for this purpose. The concept was made for the conditions prevailing in Poland. The systems were compared in financial and ecological terms. The following systems were analyzed: electric heating, heating with the use of a heat pump with a vertical ground heat exchanger, and liquid heating with various heat sources (including heat from the district heating network, hard coal boiler, biomass boiler, fuel oil boiler, natural gas boiler). From a cognitive point of view, it was interesting to examine whether the proposed installation with a heat pump is technically feasible and economically and ecologically justified.