Energy Savings Potential of Multipurpose Heat Pumps in Air-Handling Systems

Eva Schito () and Paolo Conti
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Eva Schito: Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, 56122 Pisa, Italy
Paolo Conti: Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, 56122 Pisa, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-20

Abstract: Multipurpose heat pumps are devices able to provide simultaneously heating and cooling requirements. These devices concurrently provide useful thermal energy at condenser and evaporator with a single electrical energy input, potentially achieving energy savings as heat-recovery and co-generative technology. Despite their potential contribution to the energy transition goals as both renewable and energy-efficient technology, their use is not yet widespread. An application example for multipurpose heat pumps is air handlers, where cooling and reheat coils are classically fed by separate thermal generators (i.e., boiler, heat pumps, and chillers). This research aims at presenting the energy potential of multipurpose heat pumps as thermal generators of air handler units, comparing their performances with a classic separate configuration. A museum in the Mediterranean climate is selected as a reference case, as indoor temperature and relative humidity must be continuously controlled by cold and hot coils. The thermal loads at building and air handler level are evaluated through TRNSYS 17 and MATLAB 2022b, through specific dynamic models developed according to manufacturer’s data. An integrated building-HVAC simulation, on the cooling season with a one-hour timestep, demonstrates the advantages of the proposed technology. Indeed, the heating load is almost entirely provided by recovering energy at the condenser, and a 22% energy saving is obtained compared to classic separate generators. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis confirms that the multipurpose heat pump outperforms separate generation systems across different climates and related loads, with consistently better energy performance due to its adaptability to varying heating and cooling demands.

Keywords: heat pump; multipurpose heat pumps; energy efficiency; energy savings; air handling unit; dynamic simulation (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: 2025
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