Ground source heat pumps are clean, energy-efficient and environment-friendly systems. Although the initial cost of ground source heat pump system is higher than that of air source heat pump, it is now widely accepted as an economical system since the installation cost can be returned within an short period of time due to its high efficiency. In the present study, performances of ground source compound hybrid heat pump system applied to a resort building are simulated. The system design and operation process appropriate for the surrounding circumstance guarantee the high benefit of the heat pump system applied to a resort building. If among several renewable energy sources, ground, river, sea, waste water source are chosen as available alternative energies are combined, COP of the system can be increased largely and hybrid heat pump system can reduced the fuel cost.
Predation, development, and ovipostion experiments were conducted to evaluate Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a potential biological control agent for tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici (Massee) (Acari: Eriophyidae) which is a periodic pest of greenhouse tomatoes. Results show that A. swirskii attacked all developmental stages of A. lycopersici, and had a type II functional response on the prey densities given. The predation rates of A. swirskii on A. lycopersici in the presense of alternative food sources such as pollen, thrips first instar, or whitefly eggs were recorded as 74%, 56%, and 76%, respectively of the predation rate on A. lycopersici alone. Amblyseius swirskii successfully completed their life-cycle on either A. lycopersici or cattail pollen. At 25oC, 70% RH, development time of female A. swirskii fed on A. lycopersici or on cattail pollen took 5.0 and 6.2 days, respectively. For the first 10 days after moulting to the adult stage, A. swirskii fed on A. lycopersici had higher daily oviposition rate (2.0 eggs per day) than on pollen (1.5 eggs per day). From this laboratory study, it can be concluded that A. swirskii has promising traits as a predator against A. lycopersici and that their populations can be stably maintained using alternative food such as cattail pollen. We suggest that the effectiveness of A. swirskii against A. lycopersici under field conditions deserves to be investigated.