| The residential sector contributes 17 per cent of Canada's secondary energy use, with more than 80 per cent of this contribution allocated to space and domestic hot water heating. Technological advancements in low-grade residential heat sources and distribution systems coupled with distributed renewable energy generation create an opportunity for overall end-use energy savings in the residential sector. However, in order to take full advantage of such technologies to meet Canada's emission reduction commitments, research on assessing the technical and environmental suitability of such systems is required.;In this work, an energy-efficient, renewable energy based HVAC and DHW heating system for houses is proposed and modelled to assess its end-use energy savings potential. For this purpose, an integrated building model was developed using the open-source building simulation software ESP-r to simulate the proposed HVAC system. The system consists of a ground heat exchanger, ground source heat pump, in-floor radiant heating, and a heat recovery ventilation system. The proposed DHW system utilizes the excess thermal energy from the heat pump to preheat the domestic hot water. As well, a renewable energy source in the form of photovoltaic generation and net-metered grid storage were modelled to complement the building's electrical network.;The proposed HVAC system resulted in simulated end-use energy savings in the order of 50% when compared with conventional HVAC systems for all four of the simulated Canadian climatic regions. The analysis also found that for regions with an electricity generation mix with a low GHG emission factor, the incorporation of advanced building HVAC systems plays an important role in further reducing harmful GHG emissions. For regions with an electricity generation mix that relies heavily on fossil-fuel combustion, although the proposed HVAC system still reduces end-use energy consumption by half, the emphasis should be placed on small scale, distributed renewable energy generation (such as photovoltaics) to reduce the GHG emissions contributed by the residential sector. |
