Simulation of the Use of Air-Source Heat Pumps in Different European Cities

Air-to-air heat pumps transferred the outside or exhausted air to the space requiring heating or cooling, providing an economic and ecological way to maintain thermal comfort in the building. The aim of the analysis is to estimate for which part of the year the temperature in the building can be kept between the desired temperatures, considering the single-family building without any HVAC system or with an air-source heat pump (ASHP), located in four different European cities. Simulations were carried out using Trnsys software. The results show that the ASHP is able to provide indoor temperatures in the range of 20-24 degrees C for most of the year in three of the four cities analysed, while in the wider range of the temperature set points (19-25 degrees C), it can provide almost 100% of the desired temperatures during the year in Bologna or Sevilla, as well as meet expectations in colder climatic conditions (Riga or Poznan).