Dynamic simulation of the performance of a solar assisted heat pump in different climates

Abstract

One method to reduce energy consumption in buildings is using solar-assisted heat pumps, in which the combination of heat pump and solar collector is used to improve the thermal performance. In this paper, TRNSYS and EES software are used to simulate the performance of an indirect expansion solar-assisted heat pump. Dynamic simulation of the system is performed by changing parameters such as the mass flow rate of the collector working fluid and the collector area in five climates including Hot/Dry, Cold/Dry, Moderate/Humid, Hot/semi-Humid, and Hot/Humid. The results show that, in January, the Cold/Dry climate had the lowest free energy ratio (FER) because of the high space heating load. In this month, the Hot/semi-Humid climate has the highest FER, because of the higher solar radiation and no need for space heating. The annual FER in the Hot/Dry zone is 71% which is higher than that of other zones. The lowest FER is related to Moderate/Humid climate due to high humidity and cloudiness.