This study develops an optimized integrated system for full-capacity hot water supply in hotels by combining solar thermal energy and air-source heat pumps. Using a hotel in Wuhan as a case study, a four-season × four-occupancy multidimensional working-condition matrix was established. Dynamic simulation and multi-objective optimization were performed on TRNSYS-TRNOPT, with the cost-benefit ratio (CBR) as the core evaluation metric. Key parameters—including collector area, tilt and azimuth angles, heat pump capacity, and storage tank volume—were jointly optimized. Model calibration against measured data yielded a deviation of less than 8%. The results demonstrate that the optimized system can achieve 60.8% energy savings and reduce annual carbon emissions by 132.8 t. The best-performing case (Case 1-1) achieved a payback period of 4.1 years, presenting a feasible pathway for decarbonizing buildings with high hot water demand. This research confirms the technical and economic viability of solar–heat pump systems for hotel applications, providing strong support for the achievement of China’s “Dual Carbon” targets in public buildings.
Liu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.