Hello everyone,
My girlfriend and I are planning to fulfill our dream of owning a home, and we have already gathered several offers. However, we are completely unsure about the building services engineering…
We would like to be as independent as possible and avoid using an oil heating system. In addition, we are interested in using firewood as a heat source (we own a piece of forest). I realize this involves work, but I enjoy doing it (I currently process about 5-6 cubic meters of fallen trees per year). Or is heating with wood no longer practical nowadays?
Framework conditions:
- Single-family house with approximately 190 sqm (2,045 sq ft) of living space
- Underfloor heating
- Outdoor pool planned (about 6 m x 3 m (20 ft x 10 ft))
Can you recommend something? We would also like to install a photovoltaic system with battery storage… Is that a sensible idea or not?
I would be very grateful for your advice.
My girlfriend and I are planning to fulfill our dream of owning a home, and we have already gathered several offers. However, we are completely unsure about the building services engineering…
We would like to be as independent as possible and avoid using an oil heating system. In addition, we are interested in using firewood as a heat source (we own a piece of forest). I realize this involves work, but I enjoy doing it (I currently process about 5-6 cubic meters of fallen trees per year). Or is heating with wood no longer practical nowadays?
Framework conditions:
- Single-family house with approximately 190 sqm (2,045 sq ft) of living space
- Underfloor heating
- Outdoor pool planned (about 6 m x 3 m (20 ft x 10 ft))
Can you recommend something? We would also like to install a photovoltaic system with battery storage… Is that a sensible idea or not?
I would be very grateful for your advice.
C
Chris28063 Mar 2017 09:41Hello everyone,
First of all, thank you for your responses 🙂
Our goal is not to heat exclusively with wood but rather to use a combination of gas and firewood. I found various combinations online but am not sure how practical they really are...
The high electricity costs of heat pumps discourage me, as in my personal opinion, they will increase drastically in the coming years... That’s why we considered using photovoltaic panels with a battery storage system.
But I already realize there is no “perfect” solution... There are simply too many options... 🙁
We also thought about consulting an energy advisor, but we’re concerned that they might be biased toward a specific technology...
First of all, thank you for your responses 🙂
Our goal is not to heat exclusively with wood but rather to use a combination of gas and firewood. I found various combinations online but am not sure how practical they really are...
The high electricity costs of heat pumps discourage me, as in my personal opinion, they will increase drastically in the coming years... That’s why we considered using photovoltaic panels with a battery storage system.
But I already realize there is no “perfect” solution... There are simply too many options... 🙁
We also thought about consulting an energy advisor, but we’re concerned that they might be biased toward a specific technology...
Hello,
That sounds like a reasonable plan. However, the additional cost for a system that can also heat domestic hot water using firewood is probably so high that it doesn’t make financial sense. The fact is that a modern new build requires so little heating energy that further investments to save an additional 20% usually don’t pay off. For a gas heating system, expect monthly costs of about 50–75 € (approximately 55–82 USD). A 20% saving amounts to only around 180 € (about 196 USD) per year, so it does not make sense to spend thousands of euros on it.
If I were in your position, I would probably design the underfloor heating system so that it can work with any heating technology (by laying the heating pipes close enough together) and have a nice tiled stove installed that, through cleverly placed air ducts, can also heat the adjacent rooms and part of the upper floor.
Best regards,
Andreas
Chris2806 schrieb:
Our goal is not to heat exclusively with wood, but rather to use a combination of gas and firewood.
That sounds like a reasonable plan. However, the additional cost for a system that can also heat domestic hot water using firewood is probably so high that it doesn’t make financial sense. The fact is that a modern new build requires so little heating energy that further investments to save an additional 20% usually don’t pay off. For a gas heating system, expect monthly costs of about 50–75 € (approximately 55–82 USD). A 20% saving amounts to only around 180 € (about 196 USD) per year, so it does not make sense to spend thousands of euros on it.
If I were in your position, I would probably design the underfloor heating system so that it can work with any heating technology (by laying the heating pipes close enough together) and have a nice tiled stove installed that, through cleverly placed air ducts, can also heat the adjacent rooms and part of the upper floor.
Best regards,
Andreas
Compare user reports in automotive forums about what mixed operation alternating between gasoline and gas does to valves, spark plugs, and similar components: multi-fuel burners are hardly optimizable for all fuels at the same time. I see a heating concept with alternating energy sources as reasonably feasible only with separate optimized systems. They can, of course, heat the same radiators, but not from the same boiler.
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A
Andre-Jana4 Mar 2017 12:32A friend built a house about 2 years ago. He chose underfloor heating combined with an air source heat pump, including a central ventilation system. He also has a fireplace that is water-heated. Maybe this could be an alternative for you.
Geothermal energy was not an option, as drilling was not really cost-effective in our area due to the rocky ground. He didn’t want ground collectors either.
Good luck with your decision. I believe no matter what you choose, there will always be critics and supporters. The important thing is that you find the best solution for yourselves.
There are also people who are still active in the forest and chopping wood at age 70. Maybe it helps keep you young. And then your wife benefits from it too ;-)
You can also prepare for a photovoltaic system and decide later whether to install it. That’s at least how I plan to do it.
Geothermal energy was not an option, as drilling was not really cost-effective in our area due to the rocky ground. He didn’t want ground collectors either.
Good luck with your decision. I believe no matter what you choose, there will always be critics and supporters. The important thing is that you find the best solution for yourselves.
There are also people who are still active in the forest and chopping wood at age 70. Maybe it helps keep you young. And then your wife benefits from it too ;-)
You can also prepare for a photovoltaic system and decide later whether to install it. That’s at least how I plan to do it.
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