Innovative Hybrid Condensing Radiant System for Industrial Heating: An Energy and Economic Analysis

In this paper, an innovative hybrid condensing radiant tubes heating system for an industrial building is modelled in three climatic zones of Italy using dynamic simulation software. Radiant tubes are coupled with an air–water heat pump, the latter serving an air heating system with terminals located in the building. The energy performance of the hybrid heating system is optimized by evaluating the best nominal power of the heat pump, the cut-off temperature in a bivalent parallel operation, the bivalent temperature in a bivalent alternative operation, and the peak power of the photovoltaic system on the roof of the building. Energy savings between 40% and 80% are calculated with respect to traditional heating systems, considering the different configurations of the system and the climates. An economic analysis also allows the evaluation of the economic advantages of this hybrid heating system for industrial buildings.