Solar and heat pump systems. An analysis of several combinations in Mediterranean areas

Abstract

[eng] Abstracts Recently the systems that combine solar thermal technology and heat pumps have been marketed to heat houses and produce domestic hot water. This new combination of technologies is a welcome advancement, and needs to be improved in the configuration. These systems will be cleaner as long as the electricity will improve the renewable energy fraction and system efficiency. In Mediterranean areas, where there are fewer months of heating and higher temperatures, the solar thermal systems for heating have been combined with a water-water heat pump with a big storage tank which can have better efficiency and fewer emissions than the geothermal heat pump system or a conventional heat pump.