Revolutionizing Multifamily Buildings: Integrating ccASHP and mCHP for Immediate Emissions Reductions
The integration of cold-climate air-source heat pumps (ccASHP) and a micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) system can be used to create a microgrid for multifamily buildings that delivers immediate emissions reductions today using off-the-shelf technologies in a novel configuration. A research project demonstrated the performance of this integrated system in consumption, installation cost, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The integrated microgrid was developed and tested in a laboratory environment, incorporating commercially available ccASHPs and a 24 kW mCHP system. The system was designed to operate in a simulated 4-unit multifamily building environment, with load-based testing. The heat from the mCHP was used to assist the ccASHP during times of defrost and allowed for simultaneous heating, which significantly reduced the electric loads and equipment costs. Key findings from the study include a 27% reduction in electric loads using waste heat from the mCHP and a 47% reduction in GHG emissions for electrified multifamily HVAC and water heating systems with on-site power generation. The integrated system demonstrated an average coefficient of performance (COP) of 1.5, indicating high efficiency in its operation. Additionally, the system achieved GHG emission rates that were 25% lower than the local regional transmission organization's marginal operating emission rates. The study highlights the potential of integrated energy systems, such as the combination of ccASHPs and mCHP, to provide a pathway for decarbonizing the residential sector. The results suggest that such systems can offer significant environmental and economic benefits, making them a viable solution for achieving sustainability targets in multifamily buildings. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on integrated energy systems with off-the-shelf technology can achieve emission rates below predicted future grid levels, providing a viable pathway to deep decarbonization in multifamily buildings.