Performance evaluation of solar heat systems integrated with seasonal heat storage across varied operating modes for building applications

Abstract

In this study, a modeling methodology is presented for evaluating the performance of a hybrid system integrating different types of solar collectors, namely photovoltaic (PV), glazed flat plate solar thermal (ST) and unglazed photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) collectors to harvest solar energy. Further, the system is integrated with a seasonal storage that is an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system, a heat exchanger and a heat pump (HP) to provide heating, including space heating (SH), domestic hot water (DHW), as well as cooling. The investigation considers various operational modes depending on the climate conditions and building characteristics. The study focuses on comparison of solar collectors in realistic scenarios, examining heating type and insulation levels. Real energy consumption data considering five residential buildings in Amsterdam is employed for the analysis. Annual simulations for the considered buildings are conducted for SH and DHW coverage, along with cooling. The results indicate that ATES combined with glazed ST collectors demonstrates superior heat storage while HP with PV/ST combination and floor heating achieves an average coefficient of performance (COP) of 6.09 for both SH and DHW. In contrast, HP combined with PVTs shows the lowest performance, with a COP of around 5 when used with radiator heating. Additionally, majority of the demand is covered using HP storage mode with seasonal storage and HP while building insulation plays a crucial role.