Energy tower heat pump with PVT cuts winter gas use
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- Hunan Institute of Engineering and partners installed a PVT‑driven tower heat pump system in a hotel in Huaihua City, Hunan Province, demonstrating real‑world winter operation.
- Evaporator‑side boiler configuration achieved the highest average COP of 1.904, surpassing the condenser‑side boiler system’s COP of 1.595.
- Solar‑assisted energy tower heat pump reached an exergy efficiency of 11% and saved CNY 187,300 in natural‑gas use versus a conventional tower heat pump.
- Techno‑economic analysis showed the evaporator‑side boiler saved CNY 185,100 ($26,902) in natural‑gas, while the air‑source heat pump with boilers saved CNY 184,800.
- Installation costs and space limitations were flagged as barriers for the PVT‑assisted system despite its long‑term savings.
- Xianglong Liu stressed that system‑level coordination can markedly reduce fossil‑fuel consumption while maintaining indoor comfort, advancing net‑zero building goals.
Why it matters: Building owners can slash winter natural‑gas bills by up to CNY 187,300 and improve heating performance, while the system cuts fossil‑fuel use toward net‑zero targets. However, the high upfront cost and space needs of the PVT module may limit rapid adoption.
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