Performance Analysis of a Novel Solar-Assisted Heat Pump Energy Supply System with Dual Energy Storage

Given the significant decrease in the efficiency of air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) during winter and the intermittency and instability of solar heating output, which seriously affect the system performance, this paper presents a novel solar-assisted heat pump system with dual energy storage (DES-SAHP). The system is composed of a photovoltaic–thermal (PV/T) unit, an energy storage unit, and a heat pump unit. Mathematical models for the PV/T collector, energy storage, and heat pump units have been established. A comprehensive solution methodology, along with a MATLAB R2021a calculation program, has been developed. The analysis indicates that the system can effectively meet the continuous heating demand of a rural dwelling in a cold region of China. In the heating period, the average thermal efficiency is 40.44%, which is 11.11% higher than that of conventional systems. The average electrical efficiency is 18.15%, and the comprehensive solar energy utilization efficiency is 58.44%. Moreover, the overall coefficient of performance (COP) of the system is 4.70, exceeding that of conventional ASHP systems by 125.96%. The investment payback period for this system is approximately 7.42 years. Hence, the system has great potential in solving critical issues such as the performance decline of heat pumps in winter and the inefficient utilization of solar energy.