ᐅ Solar Thermal Systems for Domestic Hot Water and Heating – Pros and Cons

Hello
We are honestly unsure about what to do and hope to get some advice here.
Here’s the situation:
We bought a house built at the end of the 1970s. It is heated with an oil boiler and has a 200-liter (53 gallons) domestic hot water tank.
At the beginning of this year, we refilled 3,000 liters (790 gallons) of heating oil, and the supplier said the previous owner also used about the same amount per year. Before that, an elderly lady lived here, and of course, no one really knows how much she actually heated.
Currently, there are three of us living here.
I would like to have a wood-burning stove because I enjoy the warmth and find it cozy. However, we want to heat properly and not just have a small fire for ambiance.

Now to the main topic:
We are considering installing a solar system to support heating and domestic hot water production. The total cost would be around €14,000 (after subsidies). That is quite a lot of money, and we are uncertain whether it will pay off. We might also consider a wood stove with a water jacket to help heat the buffer tank during winter.

What do you think? Is it a worthwhile investment?

jessi7755 schrieb:

. Total costs amount to just over €14,000 after deducting the subsidy. That is quite a lot of money, and we are unsure if it will ever pay off.

No. Or actually yes, but only your grandchildren will see that.

Water-bearing fireplaces or stoves are also very complex and expensive. It is unlikely that they will pay off quickly. Even the stove installers advised us against them.
Do you have underfloor heating?

Perhaps it would be more worthwhile to first improve the insulation of the exterior walls or install new windows?

Insulate the top floor ceiling and roof if this has not been done yet. Costs are around 2000 euros (approximately $2200) in Eastern Europe.

Seal the windows and consider replacing the glass.

Insulate the basement ceiling?

Small items like insulating roller shutter boxes.

Then move on to the heating system. It can also be optimized with very low costs.

A fireplace is just for coziness. A wood gasifier stove might only be worthwhile if you own a large forest.

All these tips apply if you still have older standard installations.

Solar thermal systems are unlikely to be cost-effective, unless you need significant heating in summer.

Thanks in advance for your answers.
We have already replaced the windows.
Since March, we have used about 500 liters (132 gallons) of oil, although we only moved in during June.
The heating turns on frequently to keep the hot water warm.