Sustainable Heating Systems: Ecological Assessments of Various Heat Pump Solutions in Single-Family Houses

Abstract

This contribution examines the ecological impacts of various heat pump configurations employed in newly constructed single-family homes in Germany. Four key technologies are assessed: air source heat pumps (ASHP), ASHP with solar thermal collectors (ST), brine-water heat pumps (BWHP) paired with photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) collectors, and ground source heat pumps (GSHP). Employing life cycle assessment (LCA), the environmental impacts, focusing specifically on climate change and resource use impacts, are investigated. The findings reveal that the GSHP demonstrates the lowest carbon footprint at 0.082 kg CO₂‑eq./kWh_th, whereas the BWHP+PVT configuration presents the highest at 0.095 kg CO₂‑eq./kWh_th. A significant observation is that the electricity sourced from the grid substantially influences climate change impacts across all technologies. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses indicate that accounting for environmental credits from excess electricity generated by PVT systems considerably lowers the overall carbon footprint. By investigating these heating technologies, this paper aims to provide insights into the environmental performance of different heat pump configurations for informed decision-making in the transition towards sustainable energy systems, highlighting the necessity for reliable data and standardized frameworks for ecological assessments.