Abstract Purpose A hybrid system combining a hydrothermal heat pump and pellet boiler was investigated as a potential heating system for a smart farm.Methods A double-layer automatic side opening and closing system and an automatic ventilation system were installed in a greenhouse with an area of approximately 90 m2 located at Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea. In the hybrid system, comprising a pellet boiler and hydrothermal heat pump, heat transfer was facilitated using a fan coil unit and tube rail. Thermocouples were installed in indoor and outdoor pipes for data acquisition. The fuel and power consumption of the boilers and pumps were measured daily. Eleven experiments were conducted between February and March 2020. Heating performance and energy consumption were analyzed for the different systems.Results Comparative analysis revealed that the hybrid system showed the highest thermal efficiency at 64%. In terms of the energy cost per temperature lifting, the hybrid system reduced cost by ~23% compared with a single pellet boiler.Conclusions Thus, the hybrid system can successfully be applied to smart farm heating and is efficient in terms of heating performance and energy costs.
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