The article titled “Comparative Analysis of an Air-to-Water and a Water-to-Water Heat Pump Coupled with an Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage in District-Based Applications” was awarded the “Best Paper Award.” The work, stemming from collaboration between RSE and the Department of Engineering at the University of Sannio, involves contributions from Giordano Agate, Francesca Colucci, Nicola Luciano, and Gabriela Squarzoni for RSE, alongside the Technical Physics research group of the university, led by Prof. Maurizio Sasso and Prof. Carlo Roselli, with participation from E. Bourret, E. Marrasso, C. Martone, and G. Pallotta.

The study, which was awarded at the 19th Conference on Sustainable Development on Energy, Water, and Environment Systems (SDEWES) held in September in Rome, encompasses some of the results from the Research System activities of the “Electrochemical and Thermal Storage Technologies” project on thermal energy storage in aquifers.

The paper analyzes the dynamic operation of heat pump systems interacting with underground aquifers (ATES – Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage) in the context of meeting heating and cooling demands for a district heating and cooling system serving a mixed-use district. Central to the study is the interaction between the 3D dynamic modeling of the aquifer and the energy simulation of conversion systems and thermal loads of the users.

The results are encouraging for the feasibility of adopting ATES systems coupled with water-to-water heat pump systems, showing an 18% reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions compared to traditional air-to-water heat pump systems. Additionally, by removing thermal exchange with the environment, the adoption of these systems reduces the contribution to urban heat island phenomena.

More information on the SDEWES conference is available here.