DOI: https://doi.org/10.61435/ijred.2026.61952
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Towards low-carbon and net-zero energy temperature control in winter cricket farming using a hybrid PV/T–heat pump system

Smart Energy and Environmental Research Unit (SEE-U), School of Renewable Energy, Maejo University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Received: 7 Nov 2025; Revised: 20 Feb 2026; Accepted: 8 Mar 2026; Available online: 17 Mar 2026; Published: 1 May 2026.
Editor(s): H Hadiyanto
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by Centre of Biomass and Renewable Energy (CBIORE)
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

This study evaluated the integration of a photovoltaic–thermal (PV/T) system with a heat pump (HPs) to reduce energy consumption and carbon intensity in a community-scale cricket farming facility during the winter season. Two configurations were compared: a conventional HPs-only system and a hybrid HPs–PV/T system maintaining the rearing temperature at 28–30 °C. In the hybrid setup, a 10.8 kWth heat pump served as the main heating unit, while eight 550 Wp PV/T panels supplied supplementary heat and electricity. The system performance was experimentally assessed, yielding an average heat-pump Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 3.13 and a PV/T performance ratio (PR) of 0.90 under winter conditions. The hybrid system reduced grid-electricity use to 1.58 kWh/day compared with 24.37 kWh/day in total consumption, achieving a 95.4% grid electricity displacement. Annually, the PV/T array generated 7,570.63 kWh of renewable energy—exceeding the total electricity demand of 7,369.07 kWh/yr. The organizational carbon-footprint analysis showed emissions declined from 5,025.98 kg CO₂e to 1,525.83 kg CO₂e, a 69 % reduction. Overall, the HPs–PV/T hybrid configuration proved to be an energy-efficient, low-carbon solution for temperature-controlled insect farming, particularly suitable for small- and community-scale applications.

Keywords: Heat pump; PV/T system; Cricket farming; Energy consumption; Carbon reduction

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Section: Original Research Article
Language : EN
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