ᐅ Which heating system is best for a new 200 sqm house?

Dear forum members,

I am new here and, to be honest, I haven’t read all the previous posts yet, so a similar topic might already be discussed.

We are a family with three small children and are fortunate to be allowed to build in our hometown near Regensburg. In 2011, we built a small 145 sqm (1,560 sq ft) Tuscan-style house, but unfortunately, it no longer meets our needs, so we are planning to build again. Our current home is heated with a groundwater heat pump including cooling (which we rarely use). Overall, we are satisfied with the heating results, although on cold winter days, I miss the comfortable “warm feet feeling” that I have experienced with friends who have pellet or gas heating. What bothers me more is that our hot water takes quite a while to heat up and only reaches a temperature where I can still comfortably keep my hand under it.

We are considering a pellet heating system, but to be honest, we haven’t really researched heating systems at all yet—and a lot has probably changed in the last eight years. Our architect has proposed a compact heat pump with a central ventilation system and hot water storage, as this would likely be cheaper than a pellet system with central ventilation. However, for the heat pump, we definitely do not want an outdoor unit. An indoor installation might be possible, but we have concerns about the noise.

Is a central ventilation system really necessary or required? Currently, we have a decentralized ventilation system, which works well overall, but I am quite bothered by the plastic covers inside, which have yellowed over time.

What are your experiences? Ventilation—yes or no?
Heating—pellet, compact unit, or something else?

Thank you very much!
Best regards, Stefanie

Yes, there are quite a few threads on this topic here.
What the architect says only makes sense in a passive house.
Warm feet have nothing to do with the heating system but with how poorly the house is insulated (the worse the insulation, the warmer it feels).
Gas or heat pump.

In modern houses, underfloor heating systems operate with low supply temperatures, so you won’t really feel much difference regardless of the system used. Besides, I believe that heating too much from below isn’t healthy.

I find a centralized ventilation system for living spaces very practical. We use stainless steel grilles, so they don’t yellow over time.

My preference would be a ground-source heat pump with a horizontal ground loop collector (some DIY work) and funding through BAFA. This is somewhat better than an air-to-water heat pump and not more expensive due to the subsidy. Additionally, install as much photovoltaic (PV) system on the roof as possible. This way, you get an economical, sustainable, and modern heating system. The photovoltaic system generates your own electricity, which slightly supports the heat pump, and you even have a small profit on top.

Carefully plan underfloor heating (supply temperature max 30°C (86°F)) and verify the design yourself.

Conceptually and physically separate the ventilation from the heating system, and for planning and selecting the heating system, it’s best to consult someone other than your architect.

Ventilation is purely for comfort and incurs costs. In a single-family house, a centralized mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery is more sensible than many decentralized devices. Please research on your own whether you want a ventilation system or not.

I would only consider exotic heating systems like pellet boilers if I had specific, fitting reasons for them.

If the heating companies and planners are either not good, too expensive, or both, a gas heating system might be a better option than a heat pump, because it is more tolerant of planning errors and is usually offered at a lower price.

boxandroof schrieb:

My favorite option would be a ground source heat pump with a trench collector (some DIY effort) and BAFA funding. It’s somewhat better than an air-to-water heat pump and, thanks to the subsidy, not more expensive. Also, install as much photovoltaic on the roof as possible. This way, you get an economical, sustainable, and modern heating system. With photovoltaics, you generate your own electricity to slightly support the heat pump, and you can even make a bit of profit on top.

Plan the underfloor heating carefully (supply temperature max 30°C (86°F)) and review the planning yourself.

Conceptually and structurally separate the ventilation from the heating system, and for the planning and selection of the heating system, it’s best to consult someone other than your architect.

Ventilation is purely for comfort and has costs. In a single-family house, a central controlled residential ventilation system makes more sense than many decentralized units. Please research yourself whether you want a ventilation system or not.

Exotic heating systems like pellet boilers I would only install if I had equally exotic reasons for it.

If the companies and planners for the heating system are either not good or too expensive (or both), then a gas boiler is an alternative to a heat pump, because it tolerates planning errors better and is usually offered at a lower price.

Well, your suggestion is already more like the Mercedes of solutions...
Just the cost of photovoltaics alone... and the DIY effort for the trench collector is no small matter either...

If gas had been available here, we would have chosen it, still the cheapest option.

We have a heat pump installed outdoors; I was worried about noise inside, and honestly, outside too. But it’s inverter-controlled and really very quiet... you just shouldn’t take the cheapest split system.

Definitely separate heating and ventilation. I wouldn’t trade our controlled residential ventilation system for anything else, best decision ever.

Snowy36 schrieb:

Well, but your suggestion is more like the Mercedes among the solutions ...
Just the cost of a photovoltaic system alone ....

I think Mercedes here probably refers to the cost. No, I see it quite differently. Thanks to subsidies, photovoltaic systems not only pay for themselves financially, but over time they also generate a profit of several thousand euros. Of course, an investment is required, but currently, it’s hard to find a better financial investment, even if financed with a loan. Therefore, I don’t understand why the cost of photovoltaics deters so many people or is even a topic of concern.

I missed out on this myself during construction and am only now having my photovoltaic system installed on the roof. Large, expensive, and with a guaranteed return.

Snowy36 schrieb:

And I also find the DIY work on the trench collector quite challenging ....

Yes, that probably takes about a day with some helpers. The bigger challenge is likely learning and planning the topic itself. Thanks to subsidies, the whole thing doesn’t cost more than an inexpensive air-to-water heat pump.

If a homeowner, for example, plans to paint and plaster the whole house themselves to save money—which many do—then this one day of DIY work saves more money, and they can still spend a few weeks on vacation while the painter is in the house. In this case, the DIY argument doesn’t really apply.

It will always be cheaper than the heating contractor’s offer if you plan and purchase the heat pump yourself. It’s not rocket science.

I myself have only a compact air-to-water heat pump without an indoor unit. Actually, with good planning, it runs so well here that a trench collector would only be marginally better. The technology is still somewhat nicer, not more expensive, and with a trench collector, you don’t need an outdoor unit, which was the topic here.