ᐅ Considering a Gas Heating System for a New Build?

Hello!

We are planning to have a house built and are currently still in the initial planning phase. However, after a conversation with the architect, we are already considering heating options.

We are not building a KfW-certified house, but one strictly following the Energy Saving Ordinance. It will have about 220m² (2,368 sq ft) of living space plus a basement.

In various building specifications from contractors (we are having a turnkey build), we often see heat pumps that require an additional outdoor unit beside the system in the utility room. For aesthetic reasons, we are not very keen on that.

What alternatives are there for this kind of setup?

Gas heating combined with solar (the gas connection is available)?
Geothermal heat pumps?
Or other air-to-water heat pumps that do not require an outdoor unit?

We will probably have a hipped roof (with regard to solar panels). With a flat roof, the panels look quite unattractive.

We also chose the gas option. Additionally, there were complaints in some building areas regarding the air-to-water heat pump with the outdoor unit (noise generation). Visually, we didn’t find it very appealing either.

We now have a Nibe F 750 in our rental apartment and don’t see any outdoor unit on the building. So, there must be different types of heat pumps, right?

Sven, did you ever have a calculation done for this? Or did you just choose gas because you preferred it? I’m curious about what the cost-effectiveness analysis might have shown.

From an economic perspective, gas currently seems to be the leading option. It is also a well-established technology.
There are indeed many different types of heat pumps. The one with drilled ground probes is by far the most expensive.
A ground-source heat pump with a horizontal trench collector offers a great price-performance ratio if you install the trench collector yourself. However, that requires a lot of personal effort.

You can also use an air-to-water heat pump designed for indoor installation. In this case, only the ventilation grilles are visible from the outside. A basement would be practical, as the fan unit would then be located indoors.

R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
Is a gas heating system still a serious option in a new build?

One question – two aspects:

Energy prices)
are difficult to predict over decades, especially how they will develop in relation to different energy sources.

The property’s appeal)
is less affected by the type of heating and hot water system than by the type of heat emitters. In other words, if you say “gas heating,” I find that still up-to-date. But if you say “radiators,” I would argue that (full or mainly) underfloor heating is now considered standard, and using a “less modern” system will – especially in otherwise “upmarket” fittings – lower the property’s market value significantly within a few years.

R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
We will probably have a hipped roof (considering solar panels). Flat roofs look awful with the panels.

In my opinion, this also applies to a lesser extent to pitched roofs if the angle of the panels differs from the roof covering. Hipped roofs have a rather complex truss structure, which you can notice in the cost. Gable roofs are currently almost the more exclusive option again (in the sense of “you don’t find this style eighteen times on the same street”).

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