Nationwide Determination of Required Total Lengths of Multiple Borehole Heat Exchangers under Variable Climate and Geology in Japan

Abstract

This study determined the required lengths of borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) in ground-source heat pump systems for heating/cooling a building (with 300 m2 of floor area) across Japan’s four main islands through a simulation approach. Hourly thermal loads were estimated in 10 km gridded cells based on the outside temperature and humidity. Three-dimensional estimates of ground thermal conductivity from our previous study at the depths of the BHEs were used. A 5-year system operation was simulated in a total of 4059 cells with 81 combinations of individual lengths and total numbers of BHEs to determine the shortest total length required to achieve sustainable use and targeted performance. The optimal combination of individual length and total number varied regionally due to climate conditions and locally among adjacent cells due to geological conditions. The total required lengths ranged widely from 78 to 1782 m. However, the lengths were less than 400 m in 85% of the cells. Additionally, cost-effectiveness in 69% of the cells was shown by reducing the total lengths to half or less of those in the practical method. The reduction could potentially increase the feasibility of heat pump system use in Japan. The total lengths were dependent on the heating/cooling loads approximately as secondary-polynomial functions, but the relations with the ground thermal conductivity were not clear.