Comparison of traditional and ambient air-assisted ground source heat pump systems using different bore field configurations
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: While ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems offer an energy-efficient means of generating local renewable energy for buildings, they also face challenges, one of the most significant being ground thermal imbalance. The problems posed by this phenomenon can be addressed through various solutions, such as optimizing the bore field configuration and integrating complementary energy generation technologies. The aim of this study was to conduct a techno-economic comparison of a traditional GSHP system and an ambient air-assisted ground source heat pump (AAA-GSHP) system with a particular emphasis on evaluating the impact of the bore field configuration on system performance. The case building was a residential apartment block located in Finland. The analysis encompassed various bore field configurations assessed for both system types through dynamic energy simulations for a 50-year period using IDA ICE software. The AAA-GSHP system outperformed the traditional GSHP system in terms of levelized cost of energy (LCOE), CO2 emissions, and share of renewable energy generation across all the examined bore field configurations, with a few exceptions. The benefits were particularly substantial in scenarios where numerous boreholes were concentrated in a small land area. In the best case, the AAA-GSHP system achieved up to 31% better LCOE and 51% lower CO2 emissions compared to the corresponding traditional GSHP system. A key finding was that utilizing ambient air as an additional heat source highly effectively mitigates the effects of the bore field layout and spacing on the techno-economic performance of the system. By placing the boreholes closer to each other, the required land area was reduced by up to 89%, and still a higher share of renewable energy production was achieved compared to the traditional GSHP solution. In general, the AAA-GSHP system delivered considerable benefits for only a 6% increase in investment costs. The AAA-GSHP system holds particular promise for projects with a limited land area for the bore field.
Source: Energy Conversion and Management
Authors: Santeri Siren, Janne Hirvonen, Piia Sormunen
Institutions: Tampere University, Ramboll (Finland), University of Tampere
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,470
OpenAlex ID: W4404310707