ᐅ Additional Costs for Air-to-Water Heat Pump Justified for Subsidized System

Hello dear forum,

we are currently working on realizing our planned new construction project.
The heating engineer recently informed us about the eligibility for funding from Bafa for air-to-water heat pump systems.
Originally, we had planned an air-to-water heat pump for indoor installation (since we don’t have an ideal location for a split system due to the building conditions).
We have planned underfloor heating throughout the house, with a heated living area of approximately 190m² (2045 sq ft).

Now he came with the information that, in order to receive funding, the system needs to meet certain performance requirements and that this is only possible with a split system. Additionally, there are extra costs of about 5000 euros (around USD 5400), which I expect to offset through the funding of about 7000 euros (around USD 7600), so overall it should still be beneficial.
Originally, a Stiebel Eltron system for indoor installation was planned; now it should be a Rotex system with a 5000 euro (around USD 5400) surcharge.

Since I am a complete beginner when it comes to heating systems, I find it difficult to understand these statements and hope for your advice.
Now to my questions:
- Is it really true that eligible systems cause such a high additional cost?

- Are there really no eligible systems for indoor installation?

Best regards
nick205

nick205 schrieb:


Since I am a complete novice when it comes to heating systems, I don’t really understand the statements and hope for your advice.
Now to my questions:
- Is it really true that the subsidized systems have such a large additional cost?

- Are there actually no subsidized systems for indoor installation?

Best regards
nick205

Hello Nick,

There’s not enough information to assess this accurately.

Basically:

- The extra cost sounds extremely high. But you’re not just comparing different systems, also different suppliers. So that’s comparing apples and oranges. Nevertheless, it does sound like a lot. -> more details needed

- Of course, there are indoor systems that qualify for subsidies. I’m getting an IDM ILM 2-7. We will receive the subsidy. He might just not supply that model.

More info:

- Do you already have a contract with the heating installer, or could you possibly switch to another one?

- NAT (standard outdoor temperature) at your location. If you don’t know it, you can find it with a simple search. The system is “sized” based on this value.

- Is there already a room-by-room heating load calculation? Or at least a total building heating load?

- What supply and return temperatures is your heating installer calculating with?

With that information, it would be possible to roughly estimate what is feasible.

I suspect the installer is using the subsidy as an excuse to charge more.

Regarding the subsidy, there’s a calculator available online. Several factors go into it. The heat pump, of course. If that’s not enough, you can choose a “better” one. But usually it makes more sense to find out whether it’s better to run, for example, at 35°C (95°F) supply temperature or closer to 30°C (86°F). You might need to lay floor heating pipes closer together or add wall heating in the bathroom. That doesn’t cost much and, most importantly, permanently lowers your heating costs.

face26 schrieb:

Hello Nick,

Not enough information to assess accurately.

Basically:

- The price difference sounds extremely high. But you’re not just comparing different systems, also different suppliers. So, apples and oranges. Nevertheless, it still sounds like a lot. -> more info needed

- Of course, there are indoor units that qualify for subsidies. I’m getting an IDM ILM 2-7. We are getting the subsidy. But he might not sell that one.

More info:

- Do you already have a contract with the heating installer, or could you possibly switch to another one?

- What is the NAT (standard outdoor temperature) at your location? If unknown, you can find it by searching online. The system is “sized” based on this value.

- Is there already a room-by-room heat load calculation? Or at least a building heat load calculation?

- What supply/return temperatures is your heating installer assuming?

With this info, you could at least roughly estimate what is possible.

I suspect the installer is using the subsidy to increase their margin.

Regarding the subsidy, there is an online calculator. Several factors are considered, including the heat pump itself. If it’s not sufficient, you can choose a “better” one. But usually, it makes more sense to find out if it’s better not to operate, for example, at 35°C (95°F) supply temperature but rather closer to 30°C (86°F). You might need to space your underfloor heating pipes closer together or add wall heating in the bathroom. That doesn’t cost a fortune and, above all, actually reduces your heating costs permanently.

Thanks for the quick response.

The quote also seemed very high to me, despite being a layperson, so I wanted to ask here.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any further details yet, as this is arranged through a developer. I will try to get more information about the two systems.

Developer (buy a finished house including the land from the same company)? Or main contractor (buy the land from someone else and the contractor only builds the house)?

Would you have the option to exclude the heating trade?

Did you receive my private message?

The installer should provide you with a written confirmation of the amount of the subsidy.
If this is not the case, then they should cover the costs :-P

face26 schrieb:

Developer (buying a finished house including the land from the same company)? Or builder (buy the land from someone else and the builder only constructs the house)?

Would you have the option to exclude the heating trade?

Did you receive my private message?

The builder is constructing the house; we already own the land.
We wanted to have the major parts handled by a single source, so awarding the heating separately is probably not an option.
No, I have not received a private message.