Air-Source integrated Heat Pumps (AS-IHPs) with Smart Zoning for Residential Space and Water Heating in Cold Climate

This paper aims at assessing the energy savings potential of cold climate Air Source Integrated Heat Pumps (AS-IHP)s for Canadian households. The AS-IHP studied in this paper consists of a highly efficient Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) which can supply both space heating and cooling in extreme weather conditions and of a heat pump water heater (HPWH) providing domestic hot water (DHW) that is integrated with the ASHP. The system features zoned air distribution to improve thermal comfort and energy performance. The simulation study using TRNSYS shows that the system results in annual energy savings of 42% to 49% compared to a conventional forced air system commonly installed in Canadian houses. Zoned systems deliver thermal comfort improvements in addition to energy savings.