Analysis of the operation of an aerothermal heat pump in a residential building using building information modelling

Abstract

Heating, cooling and domestic hot water (DHW) are responsible for the largest share of energy use in residential buildings in Spain and play an important role in the implementation of nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB). Building Information Modelling (BIM) is expected to promote more efficient buildings through evaluation of different design options. BIM can be used as a platform from which to gather information that can be conveyed to energy efficiency simulation tools. The objective of this paper was to implement the model of a reversible air-to-water heat pump in EnergyPlus 8.9. This model was employed to analyze the performance of an aerothermal heat pump system (B) in a residential building under different Spanish climates compared to a conventional Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system (A). Significant primary energy savings were achieved with system B compared to system A. These energy savings were higher in climates with a significant heating demand such as Madrid (27.4%) and Burgos (33.6%), and in cities with a mild climate such as Barcelona (37%). The residential building studied in this work was classified as Class A according to the CO2 emissions scale when using the aerothermal heat pump system, and as Class B when using the conventional HVAC system.