Occupant Heating Patterns of Low-Temperature Air-to-Air Heat Pumps in Rural Areas during Different Heating Periods

Understanding the actual heating patterns of air-to-air heat pumps (AAHP) in rural areas is crucial for energy planning and clean-heating policy optimization. To explore the influence of outdoor climate change on occupants' heating patterns when using AAHPs in rural areas, the heating season was classified into three periods: the early heating period (EH), the mid heating period (MH), and the late heating period (LH). The investigation was conducted in rural areas of northern China, and indoor environmental parameters were measured from December 2021 to March 2022. Occupants completed household questionnaires about their heating habits before heating and phone interviews at the end of heating. This paper proposes clustering analysis to identify the AAHP heating pattern in rural areas. The results revealed four typical heating patterns of AAHP utilization. Occupant heating behaviors were dominated by the outdoor temperature fluctuation. In particular, during the mid heating period, the heating operation time periods and the heating duration were longer than that of other heating periods. Moreover, the heating patterns in living rooms were different from that in bedrooms. Room occupancy had an impact on household heating demands. These results could provide guidance for energy planning and the development of clean heating policy in the rural area.