Performance Degradation of Ground Source Heat Pump Systems Under Ground Temperature Disturbance: A TRNSYS-Based Simulation Study

Yeqi Huang, Zhongchao Zhao () and Mengke Sun
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Yeqi Huang: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
Zhongchao Zhao: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
Mengke Sun: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-16

Abstract: Ground temperature (GT) variation significantly affects the energy performance of ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. Both long-term thermal accumulation and short-term dynamic responses contribute to the degradation of the coefficient of performance (COP), especially under cooling-dominated conditions. This study develops a mechanism-based TRNSYS simulation that integrates building loads, subsurface heat transfer, and dynamic heat pump operation. A 20-year case study in Shanghai reveals long-term performance degradation driven by thermal boundary shifts. Results show that GT increases by over 12 °C during the simulation period, accompanied by a progressive increase in ΔT by approximately 0.20 K and a consistent decline in COP. A near-linear inverse relationship is observed, with COP decreasing by approximately 0.038 for every 1 °C increase in GT. In addition, ΔT is identified as a key intermediary linking subsurface thermal disturbance to efficiency loss. A multi-scale response framework is established to capture both annual degradation and daily operational shifts along the Load–GT–ΔT–COP pathway. This study provides a quantitative explanation of the thermal degradation process and offers theoretical guidance for performance forecasting, operational threshold design, and thermal regulation in GSHP systems.

Keywords: ground source heat pump systems; ground temperature evolution; coefficient of performance; heat exchange degradation; heat exchange temperature difference; thermal imbalance (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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