ᐅ New Single-Family Home Built to KfW55 Standard – Which Heating System to Choose?

Created on: 19 Jul 2020 12:19
T
Traube348
Hello everyone,
I have read many articles and would now like to benefit from the extensive knowledge of the members here.

A brief overview of my building project:
- Single-family house with approximately 160sqm (1,722 sq ft) of living space
- No basement, 2 full floors with an unfinished attic
- Relatively large window areas and an open-plan design with a staircase in the living area
- Underfloor heating throughout the house with tile flooring
- KfW 55 standard with timber frame construction
- A wood-burning stove will be installed

Unfortunately, I have little experience in this area and rely on recommendations from others regarding heating.
On the ground floor, we have a utility room of 8sqm (86 sq ft) where we would like to accommodate all the technical equipment.
The builder recommends installing a central ventilation system, which we would like to do.

Now to my question:
There is a gas connection in our building area, and a friend told me we should definitely heat with a gas boiler. To meet the KfW standard, according to the energy consultant, we still need to install 9sqm (97 sq ft) of solar panels on the roof.
A heating engineer friend advises: choose an air-to-water heat pump – split system Weishaupt LS 8-BREK – so you can avoid the solar requirement.
I have requested quotes for both options from different heating engineers, and they come out roughly the same in price.

Since I have heard many statements opposing air-to-water heat pumps, I tend to prefer gas.
However, the main challenge is the limited space in the utility room. In addition to the heating system, the two-flue fireplace, and the ventilation system, the electrical control cabinet as well as the washing machine and dryer are also planned to be located there.
Is there anyone who has faced a similar space issue?
What would you recommend?

Thank you very much in advance for your help.
N
nordanney
22 Jul 2020 09:49
Bookstar schrieb:

I just don’t understand why these power-hungry devices keep coming back.

What do you mean by power-hungry devices?
tomtom7922 Jul 2020 11:55
There is a shift away from fossil fuels and a promotion of self-sufficiency for single-family houses. In addition, infrastructure and the costs of developing building plots also play a role.

And they are not that bad if the overall concept is right.
M
MayrCh
22 Jul 2020 12:12
tomtom79 schrieb:

Self-sufficiency
I don’t know who managed to permanently link the combination of heat pump + photovoltaic system (possibly even without a battery storage) with the term “self-sufficient,” but: they were/are a genius.
S
Scout
22 Jul 2020 13:12
Certainly, autarky generally refers to "national self-sufficiency" rather than "individual self-sufficiency."
P
Pinkiponk
22 Jul 2020 14:57
MayrCh schrieb:

I don’t know who managed to permanently link the combination of heat pump + photovoltaic system (possibly even without storage) with the term “self-sufficient,” but: they are/were a genius.

Probably the one who makes the most money from it.
DaSch1722 Jul 2020 19:47
What about an air-to-air heat pump?

I’ve already heard from many sources that it is overall the most effective and cost-efficient system. Additionally, it offers a quick response time and a cooling function.

There must be a reason why a major company like Stiebel Eltron is investing in Zimmermann (manufacturer of Proxxon).

Besides, many of the large prefabricated house manufacturers (Weberhaus, Bien-Zenker) include the Proxxon as standard. They certainly wouldn’t do that if the system were unreliable and likely to generate many complaints...