The integration of photovoltaics, heat pumps, and energy storage systems is frequently assessed under the term “power grid integration”, yet studies operationalise grid interaction in different ways. This review addresses this inconsistency by synthesising and classifying assessment approaches according to the explicitness with which grid interactions are represented. A structured narrative review of peer-reviewed studies analysing coordinated photovoltaic–heat pump–storage operation was conducted. The literature is classified into three categories: A—grid-aware approaches that explicitly model distribution networks and evaluate compliance with voltage and loading constraints; B—interface-based approaches that represent the grid at the point of common coupling through aggregated import/export variables embedded as objectives or constraints; and C—grid-oriented approaches that evaluate grid-relevant indicators as proxies for grid stress without enforcing grid constraints. The synthesis shows that the categories align with distinct modelling perspectives, metrics, temporal resolutions, and control paradigms, reflecting different assessment questions rather than methodological quality. The proposed framework supports consistent interpretation and comparison of photovoltaic–heat pump–storage grid-integration studies within their respective modelling contexts.
Simonič et al. (Thu,) studied this question.