ᐅ Which heating method would you choose and why?

Created on: 22 Nov 2009 20:00
T
Tobinger
Hello,
I am planning to build in the near future and cannot decide between gas and geothermal energy. The single-family house with KfW 70 standard (basement, ground floor, first floor, and attic conversion) has 163 sqm (1754 sq ft) of living space and will be occupied by 2 people. Underfloor heating is also planned. What is the most cost-effective way to heat domestic hot water and the heating system? What is the best investment and why?

Good luck
€uro
10 Dec 2009 17:39
parcus schrieb:


The parameters don’t really matter much in this case 😕
I believe they always matter.

Diagram of heating and hot water costs for a building, including investment and operating costs
parcus schrieb:

Where do you see a possible alternative?
Alternatives basically include all solutions established in the market. Whether they prove to be cost-effective for the specific case can be determined with an appropriate calculation.

Best regards
P
parcus
10 Dec 2009 18:02
@€uro
With so many unknowns, I’m not really surprised by your response.

The only fixed, definite value is the heating load according to EN 12831.
Everything else are variable costs and forecasts.

I wouldn’t necessarily call a calculation a result, but rather a simulation model.

Best regards
€uro
11 Dec 2009 07:38
parcus schrieb:

With so many unknowns, I’m not really surprised by your response.
Exactly. That’s why answering the question, "Which heating system is the right one," is not so easy.
parcus schrieb:

The only fixed value is the heating load according to EN 12831.
Everything else is variable costs and projections.
In my opinion, even the heating load is a projection. Investment costs are definitely fixed once you receive a quote.
parcus schrieb:

I wouldn’t necessarily call it a calculation,
but rather a simulation model.
Well, what you call it is, in my view, secondary. As long as there are no other options for an objective comparison, this method seems far more reliable than assumptions, estimates, gut feelings, and all the other approaches currently used.

Good luck
P
parcus
11 Dec 2009 18:46
@€uro

In a calculation, I expect a concrete value, or at least something legally binding, such as the heating load.

In fact, the graphic only represents a state model, which also involves subjective estimates and intuition at many points. This means you get many possible results depending on which parameters are changed. Of course, it can effectively illustrate what happens, for example, if you leave the windows open. However, someone who cannot perform calculations might also make such a prediction.

Even a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model is a best-practice approach.

For a Life Cycle Costing (LCC), the most important parameter—the duration of the life cycle—would already be missing.

Of course, computer analysis techniques are very helpful, for example in accident simulation, where defined variable values also exist. Here, you can choose to accelerate fully instead of lightly pressing the brake.

Best regards
€uro
11 Dec 2009 20:38
parcus schrieb:

With a calculation, I expect a specific value,

You get that with this calculation.
parcus schrieb:

In fact, the graphic only represents a state model, which also involves many subjective estimates and gut feelings in several places. That means you get many possible results, depending on which parameters you change.

Are you sure you understood that correctly? I’m not so sure.
Good luck
P
parcus
11 Dec 2009 21:30
With this model, there are infinitely many calculation results, which can also be freely adjusted through the parameters. This, of course, is the purpose of simulation models in CA techniques.

For example, the annual demand. The adjustment of user behavior alone ranges from windows always being closed due to the ventilation system, to only sleeping and cooking with tilted windows open.

This means I only know a concrete minimum and maximum, with everything in between possible in everyday life.

Since calculations can only be done with numbers to obtain concrete results, this is where "objective mathematics" reaches its limit.

You only get a result if user behavior is subjectively estimated (if the users are known) or otherwise set arbitrarily.

The next parameter would then be the climate...

Note that I am only referring here to a partial result from the left side of the model.

No offense to your efforts to consider as many factors as possible. If you do this comprehensively, it will certainly be appreciated by any homeowner and architect.

Best regards