ᐅ Compliance with Renewable Energy Act requirements using a water-heated wood stove

A question for the experts:

In new construction, a certain share of renewable energy must be included.
Does a water-jacketed wood stove fulfill this requirement according to the Renewable Energy Act, and if so,
what should be considered during installation?
The idea is to combine a gas condensing boiler (without solar) with a water-jacketed wood stove to reduce the load on the gas heating system during the cold seasons.

A wood-burning stove alone does not fulfill your obligation. Only a suitable system, such as a solar thermal system, meets the requirement. Alternatively, you can also comply by having sufficiently high building insulation (as regulated in the energy saving ordinance). Proper insulation reduces the load on your gas heating system.

What I don’t understand is that a hydronic wood stove costs you about 2500 euros. To operate the system, you also need a buffer tank that stores the heat generated and makes it available to the heating system. Solar collectors cost roughly the same amount, depending on the heating demand.

This means there is no significant difference in cost whether you choose a wood stove or solar thermal system, but there is a difference in meeting the requirements of the Renewable Energies Heat Act.

Best regards
Phidie

There is a key difference between the fireplace solution and solar thermal systems – the fireplace solution works well in winter, even if there are a few days of cloudy and foggy weather. On the other hand, a solar thermal system performs well in summer, when it is often unclear how to use the heat efficiently.

Conversely, with the fireplace solution, the question arises whether the additional cost of a water-based fireplace compared to a purely decorative fireplace is worth it, or if good insulation might be more effective. However, that is something for others to calculate.

Best regards
I.

Hello,

Vit84 schrieb:

For new buildings, it is well known that a proportion of renewable energy must be included.

According to whom?

Regards, Bauexperte

Bauexperte schrieb:



Who says?

Regards, Bauexperte

That’s what the Renewable Energies Heat Act says, although it allows some flexibility, such as appropriate insulation.

Best regards
Phidie

Hello,

Phidie schrieb:

That’s what the Renewable Energies Heat Act states, but it allows some flexibility, such as appropriate insulation.

Correct; the Energy Saving Ordinance essentially acts as the "enforcement tool" for the Renewable Energies Heat Act. An excerpt from the summary by BdH Cologne: "[...] f, for example, one falls short of the Energy Saving Ordinance requirements by a certain percentage, the obligation to use renewable energies according to the Renewable Energies Heat Act is also considered fulfilled." The Energy Saving Ordinance only sets the target (maximum primary energy demand), but not the method to achieve it... at least not yet.

I hope the new amendment to the Energy Saving Ordinance, the details of which are still unknown, will maintain this flexibility. As long as it does, building a house remains affordable. If the authorities in Brussels succeed with their "ideas," building a new single-family home from 2020 onward will be quite challenging, as it is already very expensive today.

Regards, Bauexperte