Comparison between experiment and simulation for the development of a Tri-generation system using photovoltaic-thermal and ground source heat pump

In order to develop a more accurate photovoltaic-thermal collector and ground source heat pump integrated simulation model, it is necessary to consider the operation condition assumed in real situations, such as partial load of system, energy use situation, or energy production condition. Furthermore, the integrated simulation model should be verified by measurement data based on real-scale experiment. Therefore, in this study, we constructed a demonstration plant considering the real application for a residential house, and installed a monitoring system that could measure detailed operation situations, such as weather conditions, heat source temperatures, and individual system performance. The integrated simulation model was composed of a Photovoltaic-thermal collector model, a ground heat exchanger model, a heat pump model, a building load model, and a controller model. The error rate between the monitoring result and the integrated simulation model was determined. This was used to verify the prediction accuracy of the integrated simulation model. The coefficient of variation of root mean square error (CV(RMSE)) for the heat pump coefficient of performance (COP) and system coefficient of performance were calculated as 19.2% and 14.8%, respectively. In addition, the error rates of the PVT collector and the heat pump relative to the daily heat exchange rate (HER) were calculated to be less than 30%, respectively, while the error rate of the integrated simulation model satisfied ASHRAE Guideline 14-2014. Moreover, the long-term performance of the system was analyzed through the integrated simulation model considering the weather condition of Seoul. The annual COP of the system was calculated to be 4.03. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study developed an integrated simulation model for a photovoltaic-thermal collector and ground source heat pump, which was validated using real-scale experiment data. The model accurately predicted the system's long-term performance and annual COP, demonstrating satisfactory performance.