Test Setup for an Active Controlled Heat Pump Installation
Abstract
Energy efficiency in building is becoming more and more important; a recent Directive of the European Parliament and Council (European Parliament and Council, 2010) stated that from 2021 onwards all new buildings should be ‘nearly zero-energy buildings’. This implies that both efficient heating techniques and on- site production of renewable energy becomes more and more prominent. Heat pumps, in combination with on- site photovoltaic electricity production can play an important role in this transition toward an energy efficient building envelope. The major obstacle of powering heat pumps for heating with photovoltaic electricity is the imbalance in time between heating demand and the availability of solar electricity. In future smart electricity grids, active control is needed whereby the heat pump is switched on when electricity is available. The heat produced at moments of low heat demand is stored in thermal storage buffers.