Investigation and Study of the Potential Energy and Energy Cost Savings of Ground Source Heat Pump Systems Used in Cold-Climate Regions of the U.S.

Volume 4, Issue 1, February 2019     |     PP. 1-24      |     PDF (849 K)    |     Pub. Date: May 27, 2019
DOI:    319 Downloads     7684 Views  

Author(s)

Yao Yu, Department of Construction Management and Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
Rui Miao, Department of Civil Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
Zhi Zhuang, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

Abstract
A Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) system has the potential for reducing CO2 emission and fossil fuel consumption. The high heating efficiency of a typical GSHP system compared to conventional heating devices, such as gas-fired furnaces or boilers, makes it more attractive in cold-climate regions, e.g., the areas of the northern Great Plains in the U.S. However, many factors determine the performance of GSHP systems, e.g., control strategy, part/full-load efficiency, the age of the system, whether or not regular maintenance services are provided, etc., any of which could have significant impacts on the normal operation of existing GSHP systems and the achievement of expected energy and energy cost savings. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to further investigate and evaluate the potential energy and energy cost savings of existing GSHP systems currently used in cold-climate regions of the U.S., i.e., the areas of the northern Great Plains. After the comprehensive investigations and simulations of eight existing buildings, the results indicate that the energy savings of these investigated buildings range from 8% to 46% compared to conventional HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems. The corresponding energy cost savings, however, is relatively low (with a range between -12% and 42%), due to the extremely low natural gas price in these regions. Additionally, the result of a linear regression analysis indicates that a higher site EUI (Energy Use Intensity) may result in lower energy savings for buildings equiped with GSHP systems and located in these regions.

Keywords
Ground source heat pump, GSHP, Building energy savings, Building energy cost savings, EUI, Cold climate

Cite this paper
Yao Yu, Rui Miao, Zhi Zhuang, Investigation and Study of the Potential Energy and Energy Cost Savings of Ground Source Heat Pump Systems Used in Cold-Climate Regions of the U.S. , SCIREA Journal of Civil Engineering and Building Construction . Volume 4, Issue 1, February 2019 | PP. 1-24.

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