Abstract
An innovative space-conditioning system is proposed and a life-cycle assessment (LCA) is presented. The layout is obtained starting from a ground-source heat pump system (GSHP) and includes upstream thermal storage (TS). A prototype of the system, implemented following this new approach, is currently in use for space heating and cooling of an industrial building. As a result of the TS designed to decouple the geothermal side from the heat-pump side, the system is able to provide the required thermal energy to the building with a reduced-size geothermal installation (i.e., shorter/fewer boreholes (BHs)). The performance was monitored for over 2 years, both in cooling and heating modes. A LCA study of this system is performed on the basis of specific data for implementation and operation phases. The results are given in terms of the comprehensive ReCiPe midpoint and endpoint indicator suite and are compared with literature studies of other conventional technologies for space conditioning.
Highlights
In recent years, the European Commission has set new targets for the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by the building sector, with the goal of reducing the emissions of equivalent CO2 (CO2 eq) by 90% by the year 2050 [1]
As a building is characterized by a continuous use of energy and raw materials during its entire life cycle, a major energy use in situ is necessary for the operation phase, while minor energy consumption is due to construction, operation, retrofit and demolition stages, and, indirectly, for the production of building materials and technical installations [4]
The SCER project produced two air-conditioning pilot systems: a woodchip boiler coupled with an absorption chiller [21] and a ground-source heat pump system (GSHP) coupled with an underground thermal storage (TS) device; both the systems are connected to a photovoltaic field
Summary
The European Commission has set new targets for the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by the building sector, with the goal of reducing the emissions of equivalent CO2 (CO2 eq) by 90% by the year 2050 [1]. Of the primary energy saving potential of the European Union (EU) for 2050 [2] is related to building retrofit. This would correspond to retrofitting 80% of the 25 billion square meters of the current floor space in EU-27, Switzerland and Norway [3]. Considering that, on average, up to 60% of the energy consumption is due to space conditioning, building energy efficiency (both in the case of new construction and retrofitting) represents a key strategy, where, as in the Italian case, the majority of residential and commercial buildings were built before strict regulations on energy efficiency were enforced [5].
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