Current status of ground source heat pumps and underground thermal energy storage in Europe

Heat pumps use the temperature difference between inside and outside areas to modify a refrigerant, either for heating or cooling. Doing so can lower the need for external heating energy for a household to some extent. The eventual impact depends on various factors, such as the external source for heating or cooling and the temperature difference. The use of heat pumps, and eventual benefits has not been studied in the context of subarctic areas, such as in Iceland. In Iceland, only remote areas do not have access to district heating from geothermal energy where households may, therefore, benefit from using heat pumps. It is the intent of this study to explore the observed benefits of using heat pumps in Iceland, both financially and energetically. This study further elaborates on incentives provided by the Icelandic government. Real data were gathered from the Icelandic energy authority for the analysis. It was found for the study database of 128 households that the annual electricity use was reduced from 37.8 to 26.7 kWh (an average 29.3% reduction) after installation of heat pumps. Large pumps (9.0-14.4 kW) and small pumps (5.0-9.0 kW) saved an average of 31.4 and 26.0% (95% confidence intervals), respectively. On average, households used approximately 26 MWh after installing a heat pump. When installing a small pump (5-9 kW), the mean annual saving (and 95% confidence intervals) was 10.6 (AE2.7) MWh (approximately 26%). However, when installing a larger pump, mean annual savings were 11.3 (AE1.6) MWh (Approximately 31%).

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“…It has further been demonstrated that within Europe, Sweden and Austria have more installed units in absolute numbers than any other nation [9].…”

Section: Heat Pumpsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Heat pumps in subarctic areas: current status and benefits of use in Iceland

Atlason

Oddsson

Unnþórsson

2017

Int J Energy Environ Eng

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“…Very often, solar thermal collectors are combined with heat pumps and/or underground thermal energy storage systems. 125,126 …”

Section: Solar Thermal Collectorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy in buildings—Policy, materials and solutions

Koebel

Wernery

Malfait

2017

MRS Energy & Sustainability

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Buildings account for ∼40% of global energy demands, and the increased adoption of innovative solutions for buildings represents an enormous potential to reduce energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we critically review the current and future materials and solutions for the construction sector. We describe how policy affects innovative businesses and the adoption of new products and solutions. We investigate how the building envelope and user behavior determine building energy demands. Compared to conventional solutions, superinsulation materials (vacuum insulation panels, silica aerogel) can achieve the same thermal performance with drastically thinner insulation. With low-emissivity coatings and appropriate filler gasses, double and triple glazing reduces thermal losses by an order of magnitude. Vacuum and aerogel glazing reduce these even further. Switchable glazing solutions maximize solar gains during wintertime and minimize illumination demands whilst avoiding overheating in summer. Upon integration of renewable energy systems, buildings become both producers and consumers of energy. Combined with the dynamic user behavior, temporal variations in energy production require thermal and electrical storage and the integration of buildings into smart grids and energy district networks. The combination of these measures can reduce the energy consumption of the building's stock by a factor of three.

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“…Aquifer thermal energy storage systems can be built in areas where groundwater flow in a confined aquifer is very slow so that the stored heat is not advected away. While UTES are not common in North America, they are used widely in Europe and are a technically mature technology (Sanner, et al 2003). There are several installations in Canada; of particular interest is the system built at Drake Landing in Okotoks, Alberta.…”

Section: Underground Thermal Energy Storagementioning

confidence: 99%