Feasibility analysis for an integrated system using photovoltaic-thermal and ground source heat pump based on real-scale experiment

To reduce heating and cooling energy in the building sector, various renewable energy systems have been used, especially, photovoltaic and geothermal energy. Recently, integrated systems combining photovoltaic–thermal (PVT) systems and ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) have been developed. In this study, to evaluate the performance of the system in real application, a real-scale experiment plant with GSHP and PVT was constructed. Heating and cooling performance was analyzed through the experiment and its feasibility was assessed for four scenarios using a return of investment method. The system average coefficients of performance were 6.9 and 8.3 in summer and winter, respectively. The PVT module electrical production exceeds the system power consumption for 38% of the summer period, confirming the possibility of zero energy building implementation. The recovery period of the integrated system for the initial investment cost was 19 years compared to an existing system, but decreases to 15 years when increasing electricity rates were considered. Further, the initial investment was significantly reduced when government subsidies for renewable energy systems were incorporated. These findings indicate that the proposed integrated system is valuable and feasible, especially for scenarios where electricity rate increases can be expected and in which government subsidies are available.