Performance enhancement of a photovoltaic thermal (PVT) and ground-source heat pump system

Abstract

A new system consisting of photovoltaic thermal-ground source heat pump (PV/T-GSHP) was proposed as a solution for electricity shortage and high electricity consumption in heating buildings in Jordan. The performances of the photovoltaic system and the ground source heat pump system were studied without coupling as in real life and with coupling in a hybrid system using TRNSYS software. The results show that this PV/T-GSHP hybrid system can reduce the photovoltaic panels' temperature by more than 20 °C, and improve the efficiency of electricity production by 9.5 %, simultaneously. And in heating season the average coefficient of performance of the heat pumps increased from 4.6 to 6.2 with a decreament in electricity consumption by 25.7 %. The life cycle cost of the hybrid system decreased by 3.9 % and the net present value inceased by 13.2 % compared to the two systems separated. The model of the PV/T-GSHP system was established using TRNSYS software, an optimmization was made to select the photovoltaic modules' temperature at which cooling starts, followed by technical and economical studies on both systems separated and coupled in a hybrid system. This hybrid system can provide guidance for future related project.