Modelling Heat Pumps with Variable EER and COP in EnergyPlus: A Case Study Applied to Ground Source and Heat Recovery Heat Pump Systems

Antonella Priarone, Federico Silenzi and Marco Fossa
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Antonella Priarone: DIME, University of Genova, Via all’Opera Pia 15a, 16145 Genova, Italy
Federico Silenzi: DIME, University of Genova, Via all’Opera Pia 15a, 16145 Genova, Italy
Marco Fossa: DIME, University of Genova, Via all’Opera Pia 15a, 16145 Genova, Italy

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-22

Abstract: Dynamic energy modelling of buildings is a key factor for developing new strategies for energy management and consumption reduction. For this reason, the EnergyPlus software was used to model a near-zero energy building (Smart Energy Buildings, SEB) located in Savona, Italy. In particular, the focus of the present paper concerns the modeling of the ground source water-to-water heat pump (WHP) and the air-to-air heat pump (AHP) installed in the SEB building. To model the WHP in EnergyPlus, the Curve Fit Method was selected. Starting from manufacturer data, this model allows to estimate the COP of the HP for different temperature working conditions. The procedure was extended to the AHP. This unit is a part of the air-handling unit and it is working as a heat recovery system. The results obtained show that the HP performance in EnergyPlus can closely follow manufacturer data if proper input recasting is performed for EnergyPlus simulations. The present paper clarifies a long series of missed information on EnergyPlus reference sources and allows the huge amount of EnergyPlus users to properly and consciously run simulations, especially when unconventional heat pumps are present.

Keywords: heat pumps; EnergyPlus; buildings (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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