Abstract
A full-scale test facility of building Integrated Photovoltaic/Thermal (BIPV/T) collector coupled with cold climate variable capacity Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) and Thermal Energy Storage (TES) was designed to be implemented at Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)’s Kortright Centre. The PV/T array consists of 25 panels. The warm air generated in the BIPV/T array is considered the source of the heat pump for thermal energy production. Coupling of BIPV/T and ASHP enables a highly efficient heating system in harsh winter conditions. Thermal energy from PV/T array could be stored in the TES (concrete slab or gravel bed beneath the floor) during day and released in night time to enhance the performance of the heat pump. It is shown that using air thermal storage to preheat the outdoor air as an inlet flow to the air source heat pump increases the coefficient of performance (COP) of the heat pump. Consequently, electricity consumption by the ASHP decreases during night. Analytical and numerical methods are used to evaluate design parameters that influence thermal energy production, electrical energy production, heat pump COP and electricity consumed by the heat pump. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to optimize water storage tank size, assuming that the heat pump would only operate during hours of thermal generation from the PV/T array. The preliminary results show that the seasonal COP could be increased from 2.74 to a maximum value of 3.45 for direct coupling of BIPV/T+ASHP without the use of diurnal thermal storage. The heat pump electricity consumption is reduced by 20% for winter.
Published Version
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