A solar heating system with seasonal water pool thermal storage (SHS-SWPTS) was represented to investigate the year-round operating performance in the cold areas of China. According to the performance of solar collector, heat storage pool, water source heat pump (WSHP) and the water temperature operation of floor radiant heating system, a year-round operation control strategy of the above system was proposed. A simulation model with self-programmed control module was established in the TRNSYS simulation platform. And the accuracy of the simulation model was verified. The simulated model consists of designed collector area of 8000 m(2) and the volume of the seasonal storage pool of 13300 m(3). By simulating and analyzing the year-round running performance, several parameters were achieved, such as building dynamic heat load and outlet water temperature of the collector. Then, the rationality of system operation control strategy was analyzed. The results show that the heating load of the solar heating system can match the dynamic heat load of the building. During the initial heating stage, solar energy can guarantee 100% indirect heating and direct heating heat loads by running hot water storage pools. In addition, from mid-January to the end of the heating period (the beginning of April), the average COP of the WSHP is 4.3. And the monthly average solar energy guarantee rate of the system is between 70% and 75%. Thus, it is proved that this operation control strategy can improve the solar energy guarantee rate and system energy efficiency of seasonal solar energy heating system. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.