ᐅ New Gas Heating System for a New Build – Is Solar Thermal Needed for Domestic Hot Water?

Good evening.

Does a new building with a gas heating system actually have to include solar thermal energy for both hot water and heating support, or is hot water alone sufficient? We plan to build with solid construction without external wall insulation. Additionally, we are considering a photovoltaic system. This should be more efficient than solar thermal for heating support, right?

Thank you

You need a renewable energy source for heat generation. Solar thermal is the common method, or alternatively, a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.

Supplementing the gas heating system with solar for hot water is a sensible approach.

During the summer, the gas heater no longer cycles; it operates entirely on solar energy once heating is no longer needed. This helps extend the lifespan of the gas boiler.

On the other hand, the solar panels use a heat transfer fluid that needs to be replaced periodically and filled without air bubbles, which incurs some maintenance costs.

Overall, this may not actually save money, but having a renewable energy component is necessary.

Thank you for the quick responses. You need a certain share of renewable energy, but does that mean solar thermal is sufficient for hot water? Or do you have to use biogas, right?

Marchonisch schrieb:
Thanks for the quick replies. You need a portion of renewable energy, but does the solar thermal system alone suffice for domestic hot water?

Yes, or alternatively a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, as Alex85 already mentioned.

I don’t understand the last post. So, is solar thermal generally sufficient for domestic hot water, or does it also need to support the heating system?

As I said, we are planning to use a gas heating system.