Evaluación de bomba de calor como alternativa para calefacción y agua caliente sanitaria en una vivienda unifamiliar.
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Date
2026
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universidad de Concepción
Abstract
La calefacción y la producción de agua caliente sanitaria (ACS) concentran una fracción significativa del consumo energético residencial en Chile, sustentada en tecnologías de baja eficiencia como la leña y los sistemas eléctricos resistivos, con el consecuente impacto ambiental. Aunque las bombas de calor constituyen una alternativa eficiente, existe escasa evidencia sobre su desempeño en viviendas unifamiliares chilenas. Por ello, este trabajo tuvo como objetivo evaluar alternativas de incorporación de bombas de calor para calefacción y ACS en una vivienda unifamiliar, desde el punto de vista técnico, económico y ambiental, en Santiago, Concepción y Puerto Montt.
Para construir este estudio, en primera parte, se caracterizó la demanda térmica horaria de una vivienda chilena mediante simulaciones dinámicas en TRNSYS para las 8760 horas del año en cada ciudad del estudio. A partir de esta demanda, se seleccionó una bomba de calor aerotérmica aire-agua con compresor scroll Copeland ZH06KCU-PFJ y refrigerante natural R290, modelando su ciclo termodinámico en Engineering Equation Solver (EES) mediante una correlación empírica de eficiencia isentrópica y un control On/Off basado en factor de carga horario. El modelo fue validado contra datos del fabricante, obteniéndose un ajuste representativo del comportamiento medio de la eficiencia isentrópica y una subestimación conservadora del COP de entre 9 % y 12 %. Posteriormente se comparó su desempeño frente a cuatro tecnologías convencionales de calefacción (pellet, leña, kerosene y calefacción eléctrica), combinadas con un calefón a gas licuado para la producción de ACS, mediante costos anuales de operación, costo del ciclo de vida a 15 años, período de recuperación de la inversión y emisiones de CO₂ equivalente.
El COP de la bomba de calor varió entre 2,0 y 4,2 según la temperatura ambiente, con un SCOP anual entre 2,43 y 2,58. Económicamente, si bien el sistema a pellet resultó ligeramente más económico en operación en las tres ciudades, la bomba de calor mantuvo costos de operación inferiores a los sistemas basados en leña, kerosene y calefacción eléctrica. En cuanto al costo del ciclo de vida a quince años, la bomba de calor presentó valores cercanos a los del sistema a leña e inferiores a los del kerosene y la electricidad, con períodos de recuperación cercanos a dos años frente a esta última. Ambientalmente, presentó las menores emisiones de CO₂ equivalente entre todas las tecnologías, con reducciones de hasta 34,8 % respecto al pellet y superiores al 60 % respecto al kerosene y la electricidad.
Se concluye que la bomba de calor con refrigerante R290 es una alternativa técnicamente viable, ambientalmente favorable y económicamente competitiva frente a las tecnologías convencionales de calefacción y ACS en Chile, aunque su conveniencia económica depende de las condiciones climáticas locales y de la tecnología de referencia.
Space heating and domestic hot water (DHW) production account for a significant share of residential energy consumption in Chile, relying on low-efficiency technologies such as firewood and electric resistance heating, with a consequent environmental impact. Although heat pumps are an efficient alternative, evidence on their performance in Chilean single-family dwellings remains limited. This study therefore aimed to evaluate heat pump implementation alternatives for space heating and DHW in a single-family dwelling, from a technical, economic, and environmental perspective, in Santiago, Concepción, and Puerto Montt. The dwelling's hourly thermal demand was characterized through dynamic TRNSYS simulations for the 8760 hours of the year in each city. Based on this demand, an air-to-water heat pump with a Copeland ZH06KCU-PFJ scroll compressor and natural refrigerant R290 was selected, modeling its thermodynamic cycle in Engineering Equation Solver (EES) using an empirical isentropic efficiency correlation and an On/Off control strategy based on an hourly load factor. The model was validated against manufacturer data, showing a representative fit of the average isentropic efficiency behavior and a conservative COP underestimation of 9% to 12%. Its performance was then compared against four conventional heating technologies (wood pellets, firewood, kerosene, and electric heating), combined with a liquefied petroleum gas water heater for DHW production, through annual operating costs, 15-year life cycle cost, payback period, and equivalent CO₂ emissions. The heat pump's COP ranged between 2,0 and 4,2 depending on ambient temperature, with an annual SCOP between 2,43 and 2,58. Economically, although the pellet-based system was slightly cheaper in operation in the three cities, the heat pump maintained lower operating costs than the firewood, kerosene, and electric heating systems. Regarding the 15-year life cycle cost, the heat pump exhibited values close to those of the firewood system and lower than those of kerosene and electric heating, with payback periods near two years relative to the latter. Environmentally, it showed the lowest equivalent CO₂ emissions among all technologies, with reductions of up to 34.8% relative to pellets and over 60% relative to kerosene and electricity. It is concluded that the R290 heat pump is a technically viable, environmentally favorable, and economically competitive alternative to conventional heating and DHW technologies in Chile, although its economic convenience depends on local climatic conditions and the reference technology considered.
Space heating and domestic hot water (DHW) production account for a significant share of residential energy consumption in Chile, relying on low-efficiency technologies such as firewood and electric resistance heating, with a consequent environmental impact. Although heat pumps are an efficient alternative, evidence on their performance in Chilean single-family dwellings remains limited. This study therefore aimed to evaluate heat pump implementation alternatives for space heating and DHW in a single-family dwelling, from a technical, economic, and environmental perspective, in Santiago, Concepción, and Puerto Montt. The dwelling's hourly thermal demand was characterized through dynamic TRNSYS simulations for the 8760 hours of the year in each city. Based on this demand, an air-to-water heat pump with a Copeland ZH06KCU-PFJ scroll compressor and natural refrigerant R290 was selected, modeling its thermodynamic cycle in Engineering Equation Solver (EES) using an empirical isentropic efficiency correlation and an On/Off control strategy based on an hourly load factor. The model was validated against manufacturer data, showing a representative fit of the average isentropic efficiency behavior and a conservative COP underestimation of 9% to 12%. Its performance was then compared against four conventional heating technologies (wood pellets, firewood, kerosene, and electric heating), combined with a liquefied petroleum gas water heater for DHW production, through annual operating costs, 15-year life cycle cost, payback period, and equivalent CO₂ emissions. The heat pump's COP ranged between 2,0 and 4,2 depending on ambient temperature, with an annual SCOP between 2,43 and 2,58. Economically, although the pellet-based system was slightly cheaper in operation in the three cities, the heat pump maintained lower operating costs than the firewood, kerosene, and electric heating systems. Regarding the 15-year life cycle cost, the heat pump exhibited values close to those of the firewood system and lower than those of kerosene and electric heating, with payback periods near two years relative to the latter. Environmentally, it showed the lowest equivalent CO₂ emissions among all technologies, with reductions of up to 34.8% relative to pellets and over 60% relative to kerosene and electricity. It is concluded that the R290 heat pump is a technically viable, environmentally favorable, and economically competitive alternative to conventional heating and DHW technologies in Chile, although its economic convenience depends on local climatic conditions and the reference technology considered.
Description
Tesis presentada para optar al título de Ingeniero/a Civil Mecánico/a.
Keywords
Bombas de calor, Calefacción, Vivienda, Eficiencia térmica