Performance of a demonstration solar PVT assisted heat pump system with cold buffer storage and domestic hot water storage tanks

The design and demonstration of a solar PVT assisted - heat pump system with a cold buffer storage tank on the source side of the heat pump and a hot storage tank for domestic hot water preparation is presented. The system was subject to real weather conditions and hot water draw offs. Measurements over nine months are presented and analyzed.

The focus was on the thermal dynamic of the system and the interplay between the heat pump, the storage tanks and the thermal absorber of the uninsulated PVT panel. The hot water demand was almost completely covered by the thermal part of the PVT collector in sunny summer periods. In less sunny periods, the brine-water heat pump recharged the hot water tank after draw offs and discharged the buffer storage tank.

The uninsulated PVT collector worked as an energy absorber and was able to extract heat form the ambient air and recharge the buffer storage tank to the ambient air temperature when no solar irradiance was available. In the less sunny and colder periods, the PVT added a significant amount of energy to the cold storage tank..