ᐅ Gas with solar thermal? Or heat pump with photovoltaic? Advice needed
Created on: 5 Feb 2020 08:57
M
Micha8589
Good morning to the forum,
I have been researching heating options for quite some time and have gathered a few opinions, which have only made me more uncertain about my decision. That’s why I thought I’d ask the forum.
My family (2 adults, 1 child) is planning to build the following single-family house at the end of this year or beginning of next year:
Single-family home with pitched roof
Approximately 115 m² (1,237 sq ft)
Solid construction (calcium silicate brick ground and upper floors, brick-clad)
No KFW standard
Building location: southern Mecklenburg
Unfortunately, I can’t provide an energy performance certificate or heating load calculation yet, as the preliminary offer is still being prepared. I am also aware that a general statement can’t really be made since every house and heating behavior is individual.
The construction company advised us to install a modern hybrid heating system consisting of a gas condensing boiler and two solar thermal panels on the roof for domestic hot water, as the initial costs are relatively low (plus installation of the central gas connection), and this technology has proven reliable. The entire house is planned to have underfloor heating. According to the company, they have had very positive experiences with this and consider the technology future-proof. (There is also the idea of a fireplace in the living room.)
On the other hand, I think gas prices will not get any cheaper in the future, and the topic of CO₂ taxes (especially concerning the fireplace) worries me somewhat.
In theory, I would prefer to install a geothermal heat pump combined with a suitable photovoltaic system because this would make me independent of fossil fuels and allow me to heat “off-grid” to a certain extent, depending on efficiency. However, I am hesitant because of the very high initial costs and don’t really know how these compare to operational costs. I also can no longer realistically assess which technology offers the best cost-performance ratio (except for air-source heat pumps).
As you can see, I am completely undecided and hope to get some feedback and expertise from the forum.
Thanks in advance for your replies.
I have been researching heating options for quite some time and have gathered a few opinions, which have only made me more uncertain about my decision. That’s why I thought I’d ask the forum.
My family (2 adults, 1 child) is planning to build the following single-family house at the end of this year or beginning of next year:
Single-family home with pitched roof
Approximately 115 m² (1,237 sq ft)
Solid construction (calcium silicate brick ground and upper floors, brick-clad)
No KFW standard
Building location: southern Mecklenburg
Unfortunately, I can’t provide an energy performance certificate or heating load calculation yet, as the preliminary offer is still being prepared. I am also aware that a general statement can’t really be made since every house and heating behavior is individual.
The construction company advised us to install a modern hybrid heating system consisting of a gas condensing boiler and two solar thermal panels on the roof for domestic hot water, as the initial costs are relatively low (plus installation of the central gas connection), and this technology has proven reliable. The entire house is planned to have underfloor heating. According to the company, they have had very positive experiences with this and consider the technology future-proof. (There is also the idea of a fireplace in the living room.)
On the other hand, I think gas prices will not get any cheaper in the future, and the topic of CO₂ taxes (especially concerning the fireplace) worries me somewhat.
In theory, I would prefer to install a geothermal heat pump combined with a suitable photovoltaic system because this would make me independent of fossil fuels and allow me to heat “off-grid” to a certain extent, depending on efficiency. However, I am hesitant because of the very high initial costs and don’t really know how these compare to operational costs. I also can no longer realistically assess which technology offers the best cost-performance ratio (except for air-source heat pumps).
As you can see, I am completely undecided and hope to get some feedback and expertise from the forum.
Thanks in advance for your replies.
T_im_Norden schrieb:
Chimney inspection is required every 3 years.
A condensing boiler does not need a chimney, only a flue pipe.
Gas connection costs €2000 versus geothermal probe ≥€10,000 still means €3000 plus for gas.
You can look at and calculate everything from different perspectives.Drilling into the ground is nonsense. Air is sufficient.
Well, then take a look at the invoice from the heating technician for the flue pipe and the outdoor air intake.
Also, the gas line that needs to be installed from the connection to the boiler.
There’s no way to make these numbers look better. You either trust the figures or you’re deceiving yourself.
Besides, you can easily connect an air-to-water heat pump yourself... legally, this is not possible with a gas appliance.
T
T_im_Norden8 Feb 2020 23:05The pipe costs several hundred euros.
The chimney sweep comes every 3 years, so it's not 100 euros per year.
You are calculating with incorrect figures here.
An air-source heat pump has a lower annual performance factor than a ground-source heat pump and therefore generally results in higher energy consumption costs than gas.
With current prices, an annual performance factor greater than 4 is required for me to break even with gas.
It is generally agreed and not disputed that gas and heat pumps are roughly equal in terms of direct energy costs.
The chimney sweep comes every 3 years, so it's not 100 euros per year.
You are calculating with incorrect figures here.
An air-source heat pump has a lower annual performance factor than a ground-source heat pump and therefore generally results in higher energy consumption costs than gas.
With current prices, an annual performance factor greater than 4 is required for me to break even with gas.
It is generally agreed and not disputed that gas and heat pumps are roughly equal in terms of direct energy costs.
hegi___ schrieb:
And how does the pipe reach the roof? You don’t vent the exhaust gases at ground level.
My Panasonic air-to-water heat pump costs 2,500 Euro and achieves an annual performance factor of 4.65.
You just have to size it correctly... Except that no heating installer offers something like this. Including DIY solutions in the comparison feels like a hobby workshop approach, even if these solutions are often good.
I am also a fan of gas boilers. I would almost bet that questions and issues regarding heat pumps dominate in forums, even though heat pumps only make up about 10-15% (sales per year) of installations.
In a perfect world, heat pumps might actually be a simple technology, but reality often looks quite different...
In a perfect world, heat pumps might actually be a simple technology, but reality often looks quite different...
Has anyone ever considered the classic oil heating system? In the form of an oil stove, it is especially low-maintenance and reliable. When operated with Aral Ultimate fuel, it also offers excellent environmental performance. In memory of Lisa N., always Ultimate on Fridays.
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