Analysis of district heating and heat pump application at the level of a typical non-renovated multi-apartment building

Abstract

The study evaluates the feasibility of integrating air­to­water heat pump systems into a non­renovated multi­apartment building connected to a district heating network. The research is based on real annual heat consumption data (471.82 MWh) and dynamic modelling performed using the EnergyPRO software. A baseline district heating scenario was compared with three hybrid system configurations differing in heat pump cut­off temperature (–5 °C, –10 °C and –15 °C outdoor temperature). The results demonstrate that hybrid systems significantly reduce annual operating costs without modifying the building’s internal heating system. Compared to the baseline scenario (45,917.82 EUR/year), operating costs were reduced by more than 50% in all alternative cases. The most economically efficient configuration was obtained when the heat pump operated down to –15 °C, resulting in the lowest annual cost (21,740.51 EUR/year) and the shortest simple payback period (4.76 years). The analysis confirms that hybrid district heating and heat pump systems can serve as a rational transitional solution for improving energy efficiency in existing multi­apartment buildings, especially in areas where district heating infrastructure modernization is planned. The economic performance of the system is strongly influenced by the selected operating strategy of the heat pump. Article in Lithuanian