Current status of the performance of GSHP (ground source heat pump) units in the Republic of Korea

Heat pumps, as a process recirculating environmental heat back into useful heat production, fit the environmental requirements of present global policy. They are very useful tools to reduce the need of fossil fuels in space heating and cooling. The government of the Republic of Korea has promoted the distribution of heat pump systems that apply geothermal energy, and has adopted regulation to prevent the use of low efficiency heat pump units. Only heat pump units certified by the government can be used in ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. Certified heat pump units in the Republic of Korea were analyzed and discussed in this paper. All certified products had cooling capacities less than 280 kW (80 RT). Most of the cooling COPs (Coefficient of Performance)s were found to be superior to heating COPs for GSHP units in the Republic of Korea. To save energy, correspond to environmental regulations and reduce the installation cost of applying GSHP systems, it is suggested that the certification standard concerning underground circulation flow rate should be revised. In addition, there is a need for the revision of the certification standards to include floor heating in order to be able to apply GSHP systems for a variety of purposes.