What the study found
The study found that, for the residential building examined in Qingdao, the best overall performance came from a composite energy system in which the ground-source heat pump covered 50% of the winter peak heating load. In that case, soil thermal imbalance was greatly reduced, and the 10-year life-cycle cost was the lowest among the options tested.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the results provide theoretical and engineering guidance for designing and operating low-carbon energy systems in green residential buildings in cold regions. They also present the findings as relevant to managing soil thermal imbalance in ground-source heat pump systems.
What the researchers tested
The researchers studied a two-star green-certified residential building in Qingdao with a high winter heating load, low summer cooling load, a long heating season, and large load fluctuations. They proposed a composite energy system combining a ground-source heat pump, a peak-shaving chiller, and a peak-shaving boiler, and compared three ground-source heat pump shares of winter peak heating load: 45%, 50%, and 52.6%, against a conventional municipal heating scheme. They used load simulation, techno-economic analysis, and carbon emission assessment.
What worked and what didn't
The 50% ground-source heat pump scenario performed best overall. It reduced the soil thermal imbalance rate from 34.47% to 7.1%, achieved the lowest 10-year life-cycle cost, and reached an annual carbon emission of 32.58 kgCO2/(m2·a), which the abstract says is a 33% reduction compared with municipal heating. The abstract does not report the detailed outcomes of the 45% and 52.6% scenarios beyond noting that they were compared.
What to keep in mind
The study is based on a single case study of one two-star green-certified residential building in Qingdao, so the available summary does not describe broader testing across other buildings or regions. The abstract does not provide detailed limitations beyond the scope of the case and comparison schemes.
Key points
- A 50% ground-source heat pump share gave the best overall performance in the case study.
- Soil thermal imbalance fell from 34.47% to 7.1% in the optimal scenario.
- The lowest 10-year life-cycle cost was found in the 50% scenario.
- Annual carbon emissions were 32.58 kgCO2/(m2·a), 33% lower than municipal heating.
- The study compared three heat pump shares: 45%, 50%, and 52.6% of winter peak heating load.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Optimal heat pump share reduced soil imbalance and costs
- Authors:
- Yubing Liu, Yibing Xue, Tian Mu, Yingge Zhang
- Institutions:
- Shandong Jianzhu University, Shandong Jianzhu University, Shandong Jianzhu University, Shandong Jianzhu University, Shanghai Research Institute of Building Sciences (China)
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-05
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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