Hybrid heat pump with improved dehumidification

A hybrid heat pump system for conditioning air in a space, the system comprising:

• a heat pump loop comprising a refrigerant circuit that fluidly interconnects:
• a compressor configured to circulate a refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit, the compressor having a discharge outlet and a suction port;
• a source heat exchanger;
• a space heat exchanger;
• an expansion valve positioned between the space heat exchanger and the source heat exchanger;
• a reversing valve positioned downstream of the discharge outlet of the compressor and configured to alternately direct refrigerant flow from the discharge outlet of the compressor to one of the source heat exchanger and the space heat exchanger and to alternately return flow from the other of the source heat exchanger and the space heat exchanger to the suction port of the compressor;
• a hydronic loop that fluidly interconnects and comprises:
• a hydronic heat exchanger;
• a hydronic heat transfer unit;
• and
• a pump for circulating water through the hydronic loop;
• an air circuit comprising:
• ducting configured to direct the air along an air flow path to provide conditioned air to the space;
• and
• a blower to circulate the air through air ducting;
• wherein the hydronic heat exchanger and the space heat exchanger of the heat pump loop are positioned immediately adjacent one another in the air flow path of the air circuit;
• and
• a control system configured to selectively operate the heat pump loop and the hydronic loop in a plurality of operating modes, wherein the plurality of operating modes includes a heat pump loop cooling mode, a heat pump loop heating mode, a hydronic loop cooling mode, a hydronic loop heating mode, a combined heat pump loop and hydronic loop cooling mode, and a combined heat pump loop and hydronic loop heating mode, wherein in the combined heat pump loop and hydronic loop cooling mode and the combined heat pump loop and hydronic loop heating mode, the control system is configured to activate the hydronic loop before the heat pump loop for increased utilization of the hydronic loop.