Energy simulation scenario to social housing building: combining heat pump and renewable energy system

Control and improvement of both the energy and environmental quality of buildings is responsible for almost 40% of the emissions caused by energy processes. 84% of Italian buildings are residential, making redevelopment approaches necessary for reducing emissions and consumption. RESHeat (Renewable Energy System for Residential Building Heating and Electricity Production) has been realized to heat and cool residential buildings with renewable energy. The RESHeat system consists primarily of a heat pump, photovoltaic/thermal modules, and two thermal energy storage units. One of the novelties of the RESHeat system is the use of waste thermal energy from the PV cooling system to ensure constant energy levels in the cold sink of the heat pump (COP over 5). Furthermore, PV-T is coupled with the system to maximize the amount of renewable energy produced. The study focuses on a social house building from the 1980s that is used as a demonstration site for the RESHeat system. It consists of a three-story building with 13 different-sized flats. The dynamic simulation was performed using TRNSYS software to compare the RESHeat system to the current situation, having two scenarios: A: Actual Heating, B: RESHeat System. By retrofitting existing systems, an efficient heating system and air conditioning system can be provided; these implementations can also significantly reduce overall consumption and CO2 emissions. The results show that the heat pump's yearly average COP is 6.25 due to the energy storage unit. RESHeat system covers building heating needs through a combination of renewable energy sources and energy storage.