Experimental analysis of an integrated system using photovoltaic–thermal and air source heat pump for real applications

To realize zero energy buildings, photovoltaic-thermal (PVT)–ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems are being developed. However, the PVT–GSHP system faces challenges in urban areas or in existing buildings owing to the complicated installation process and high initial cost. To address this problem, this study devised an integrated PVT–air source heat pump (ASHP) system that allows installation in a limited space and reduces the initial cost. Particularly, a real-scale experimental plant was constructed based on a small-scale building to evaluate the performance of the PVT–ASHP system. The measurement data of the PVT–ASHP system was collected using a monitoring system, and the heating and cooling coefficients of performance (COPs) were evaluated. The average heating and cooling COPs of the PVT–ASHP system were 3.54 and 3.31, respectively. The COP of the system improved by approximately 52% compared to the ASHP. The PVT–ASHP system indicated a performance difference of approximately 9% compared to the PVT-GSHP system. Moreover, the initial cost of the PVT–ASHP system was reduced by 44% compared to the PVT–GSHP system. PVT–ASHP systems have economic benefits and are a suitable alternative to PVT–GSHP systems.