Abstract: Abstract: Active heat storage-release associated with heat pump heating system (AHSRHPS) has remarkable heating and energy-saving effects, which use the same principle as an indirect-expansion solar heat pump, while allowing the technical parameters and processes to continue to improve. The system in this study was designed and constructed in the experimental glass greenhouse at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The main objective was to investigate performance evaluation and thermoeconomic analysis of AHSRHPS for greenhouse heating in the winter. This included the exergy loss of the system and components, defining the specific locations and primary causes of exergy loss, finding methods and technical routes used to reduce exergy loss by exergy analysis based on the second law of thermodynamics, and lastly, optimizing the system further. The heat collecting efficiency of the system ranged from 89.0% to 100.5% during the test and was much higher than the common solar water heating systems. Increasing the heat convection area between an active heat storage-release device and heated indoor air contributed to promoting the heat collecting efficiency. The coil heat exchanger of the heat pump equipment integrated with the heat storage water tank avoided power consumption of circulating water pumps at the heat source and load sides. In doing so, the water temperature of the heat source side had a relatively high temperature, causing the coefficient of performance (COPHp) of the heat pump equipment to range from 5.48 to 6.08, a much higher result than traditional water and ground source heat pumps. However, the discharge pressure and temperature had a tendency of increasing, which resulted in a reduction on COPHp, as the water temperature at load side increased. Over-high temperature requirements went against the system operations of reliability and economy. The exergy loss and efficiency of the overall system was obtained to be 9.77×104 kJ and 48.7% per day. The component which had the largest exergy loss and the lowest exergy efficiency was the active heat storage-release device, followed by heat pump equipment, circulating water pump and heat storage water tank. Exergy loss ratios in this order were 78.7%, 8.3%, 7.7%, and 5.3%. The exergy efficiencies in this order were 25.6%, 38.3%, 75.0%, 88.2%. Among them, the heat transfer between solar radiation and circulating water mostly caused the exergy loss of the active heat storage-release device. Improving production processes could help to decrease the exergy loss to some extent. The exergy losses from the heat pump equipment were mainly caused by the heat exchange losses of the heat exchangers and power consumption by the compressor. Controlling to get the proper evaporating and condensing temperature was the emphasis in optimization. The primary cause of circulating water pump exergy loss was mechanical friction, most likely caused by pump selection. The exergy loss of the heat storage water tank was mainly caused by heat loss during nighttime, making an enhancement in heat-retaining capacity desirable. In the view of the overall system, the components that needed technique optimization most were active when using the heat storage-release device and heat pump equipment. The majority of exergy loss was caused by heat exchange with finite temperature difference, decreasing the temperature difference of heat transfer, reducing the quantity of heat transfer process, and improving production technology. In addition, enhancement of greenhouse insulation could promote exergy efficiency of the system during the heat release period at night. Economy, reliability and thermodynamic properties should be considered synthetically to select the best balance during the optimization of the system and its components. Greenhouse warming is the most important part in greenhouse production in the winter, having various heating methods and uneven performance, and rational use of energy and power savings as imperatives. This study will provide a new thinking for performance evaluation and optimization of systems for greenhouse heating.