A research team in Turkey has assessed the potential of air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) to replace coal-fired heating in commercial poultry houses in cold climates. Combining experimental measurements, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and cost analysis, the researchers found that an ASHP system could reduce annual heating costs by approximately 44% compared with coal-fired heating, while maintaining suitable indoor conditions for broiler chickens.

“The main novelty of this research lies in its integrated experimental, numerical, and techno-economic evaluation of an ASHP as a direct replacement for conventional coal-fired heating in commercial broiler houses,” corresponding author Zekeriya Parlak told pv magazine. “This work combines real-world energy consumption measurements from three identical broiler houses on the same farm, analytical heat-demand calculations, experimentally validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and comparative heating-cost assessments.”

Parlak said his team also plans to investigate the integration of heat recovery units, PV panels, and battery storage with ASHPs in poultry houses. “The objective will be to evaluate the potential energy savings, system performance, and investment costs of these integrated technologies,” he said. “In particular, we aim to develop a calculation methodology for determining the appropriate heat pump capacity by considering the contribution of heat recovery systems to the overall heating demand.”

1 meters and a capacity of 21,000 chickens. Two houses were heated by coal-fired boilers, while the third used an ASHP connected to a hot-water storage tank and fan coil units (FCUs). During a production cycle that began in January 2024, the team measured indoor and outdoor temperatures, heating-system water temperatures, energy consumption, and ventilation parameters.

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