Comparative Evaluation of Ground-Coupled Heat Pumps That Use Solar Energy

摘要

A study of combined building space conditioning systems using both solar energy and heat pumps was conducted for the US Department of Energy (DOE). Several of these systems used the ground as a source or storage element for thermal energy, in order to reduce or eliminate the need for backup energy. This paper summarizes the results obtained for these systems in the United States, and describes the relationship of ground-coupling to the overall US solar-assisted heat-pump program. (ERA citation 10:025453)