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Effective use of heat pumps for 3

various heating applications

3.1 Heat pumps in individual and multi-family
residences

Heat pumps are now recognized as one of the most efficient means of providing year-
round comfort in homes, buildings of various purposes, and industrial applications. In
this chapter we will focus on their strengths, while showing how certain drawbacks can
be mitigated.

3.1.1 Energy efficient houses

An energy efficient house is a house with low energy consumption per living space
area, the optimal microclimate usually achieved using ground heat and heat pump
units.
In Europe residential buildings are categorized according to their level of energy
consumption:
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1) Old houses (built before 1970) with a heating system consuming w300 kWh/(m $y);
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2) Newer houses (built from 1970 to 2002) with consumption of w150 kWh/(m $y);
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3) Houses with low energy consumption of 60 kWh/(m $y);
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4) Passive houses with very low energy consumption of 15 kWh/(m $y);
5) Zero-energy buildings with no net energy consumption;
6) Energy-plus houses whose engineering equipment (solar panels, heat pumps, energy recov-
ery units, etc.) generate more energy than is consumed.
Under actual conditions in northern countries, e.g., United States, Canada, Scandi-
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navia, and Russia, energy consumption can typically be 30e40 kWh/(m $y).
The concept of the “passivehouseproject” appeared in Germany in the 1990s. In
the passive house, the heat losses through the enclosing structures, which are
oriented to the south, are compensated by solar energy in winter due to architectural
and planning decisions. Also, energy-saving measures are provided by such means
as:
• dividing the house into residential and buffer areas using volumetric planning
• locating auxiliary rooms in the buffer zone on the north side
• locating the active living areas in the southeastern part of the house
• using external protection against solar radiation in summer (for southern countries)
• using external protection from winds on the northern side.
A reduction in energy costs is achieved by decreasing ventilated air, but the micro-
climate inside the house may not match comfortable living conditions. As examples,

Low-Temperature Energy Systems with Applications of Renewable Energy
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816249-1.00003-0
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