Energy–carbon footprint synergy in a temperature-controlled cricket farming system integrating photovoltaic/thermal and heat pump technologies

This study evaluated the energy and carbon footprints of a household-scale cricket farming system integrating a temperature control system. In the traditional system, container temperatures fluctuated with ambient conditions, limiting winter production to 4.50 cycles per year. In contrast, the hybrid photovoltaic/thermal and heat pump system, consisting of a 4.40 kW PVT unit integrated with a 10.80 kW th heat pump, maintained stable container temperatures of 28–30 °C even when ambient temperatures dropped to 14.50 °C. This temperature stability enabled 5.50 annual cycles, representing a 37.33% increase in yield compared with the traditional system. The new system achieved an energy footprint of 5.76 MJ/kg and a carbon footprint of 3.45 kgCO 2 eq/kg, which were lower than those of the traditional system at 7.52 MJ/kg and 4.42 kgCO 2 eq/kg, respectively. The economic assessment further demonstrated strong financial feasibility, with a payback period of 4.54 years, a net present value of 38,514.36 USD, and an internal rate of return of 21.56%. These findings confirm that renewable-energy-assisted temperature control systems can enhance productivity, improve environmental performance, and offer economically attractive solutions for temperature-controlled cricket farming. • A PVT–heat pump system stably maintained 28–30 °C rearing temperatures during winter, preventing ambient-driven drops below 14.5 °C. • The system improved biological performance, increasing annual yield by 37.33% and shortening the rearing cycle. • The hybrid configuration achieved stable PVT electrical–thermal efficiencies (≈19% and ≈18%) and an average heat-pump EER of 3.15 kW th /kW e . • Annual energy and carbon footprints were reduced to 5.76 MJ/kg and 3.45 kgCO₂eq/kg, confirming enhanced renewable-assisted efficiency. • Economic evaluation demonstrated strong feasibility, with an NPV of 38,514.36 USD, IRR of 21.56%, and a 4.54-year payback period