Abstract
This research work aims at a multinational study in Europe of the emissions and energy costs generated by the operation of low enthalpy geothermal systems, with heat pumps fed by different energy sources. From an economic point of view, natural gas and biogas prices are, usually, lower than electricity ones. So it may be advantageous to use these energy sources to feed the heat pumps instead of electricity. From the environmental point of view, it is intended to highlight the fact that under certain conditions of electricity production (electricity mix), more CO2 emissions are produced by electricity consumption than using other a priori less “clean” energy sources such as natural gas. To establish the countries where each of the different heat pumps may be more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly, data from multi-source geospatial databases have been collected and analyzed. The results show that in the majority of cases, the electric heat pump is the most recommendable solution. However, there are some geographic locations (such as Poland and Estonia), where the gas engine heat pump may be a better alternative.
Highlights
Many European countries are heavily committed to developing a sustainable and decarbonized energy system [1]
If the internal combustion engine of the heat pump is not supplied by natural gas but by biogas, the emissions of the energy sources associated with the use of this gas are usually considered zero because of the neutral cycle contemplated during its production [10]
Heat pumps are usually categorized as electric heat pumps (EHPs) or gas engine heat pumps (GEHPs) [11]
Summary
Many European countries are heavily committed to developing a sustainable and decarbonized energy system [1]. Heating and cooling systems powered by electricity instead of fossil fuels may become more and more important in the future due to the upcoming policies of CO2 emissions control [3]. In this environment, the low enthalpy geothermal systems may emerge as one of the best solutions available due to the wide locations where it is possible to install these systems and the high efficiency of them [4]. In exchange for this wide availability, these systems are not able to use geothermal energy directly; they need to include a heat pump in their core
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