Multi-criteria analysis of a self-consumption strategy for building sectors focused on ground source heat pump systems

This study aims to conduct the multi-criteria analysis of a self-consumption strategy for building sectors focused on ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems that simultaneously considers the energy generation, economic, and environmental effects of the system in the planning and design phases. In this study, an education facility, a sports facility, and a residential facility are selected as the target facilities. The GSHP system is analyzed at all the target facilities considering the self-consumption of 0–100%, with 25% intervals. The results of this study are as follows. The energy generation rate is increased with increasing self-consumptions in all the target facilities. In terms of the economic effects, the higher self-consumption is, the higher net present value is in all target facilities. However, the savings-to-investment ratio differs by building types due to the energy policy (i.e., the education facility: from 2.68 to 2.39. and the sports facility: from 2.33 to 1.95), however, SIR increased in a residential facility (i.e., the education facility: from 2.65 to 3.32). In terms of the environmental effects, the abiotic depletion, global warming, acidification, and eutrophication potentials decrease in all the target facilities, but the ozone layer depletion potential increases. The proposed model may be useful for decision makers (i.e., architects, owners, construction managers, etc.) or policymakers to determine the percentage of self-consumption when introducing the GSHP system to buildings.