ᐅ Infrared heating throughout the entire house?

Hello everyone,

I had a consultation last week with a prefab house provider.
Of course, we also discussed the desired energy efficiency class for the house.
KfW55 is basically standard for prefab houses, and KfW40 is quite easy to achieve. After all, the houses basically consist of just a few wooden beams and insulation material.

Since I want to install a photovoltaic system on the roof anyway, it quickly leads to KfW40+.
My plan was to aim for KfW40+ with a solar system, an air-to-water heat pump, and underfloor heating.

My advisor now suggested an alternative: instead of the air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating throughout the house, use infrared heating panels. This would save the costs for the heat pump (including maintenance) and underfloor heating. KfW40+ would still be achievable since the insulation stays the same and the heat energy is generated by the photovoltaic system.
I unfortunately forgot how the domestic hot water would be heated (I think either purely electric or with additional solar thermal).

A rough calculation showed that there would be no big difference in total costs. However, with infrared heating, maintenance costs and wear and tear would be eliminated.

Has anyone had experience with equipping an entire house with infrared heating?
So far, I only knew about it being used as bathroom mirrors.

Oh, and this manufacturer was recommended to me: try googling "Infrarot Riedlingen" 🙂

Regardless of whether it works or not, I found the heat from the infrared heater to be uncomfortable. It was very warm in specific spots and also quite slow to warm up a room.

Wandervogel85 schrieb:

The heating energy is generated by the photovoltaic system.

At night and from October to March as well?

Wandervogel85 schrieb:

Unfortunately, I forgot how the domestic hot water is heated (I think it’s either purely electric or with additional solar thermal).

So, also from the grid—solar thermal won’t provide hot water in winter and the photovoltaic system won’t generate electricity for the tankless water heater. A domestic hot water heat pump would be a sensible solution.

Overall, I am completely against this proposal.

Infrared heating works well... in Spain.

There are also occasional reports from distressed users who invested in this solution. One important point to consider is that houses with infrared heating tend to have a significant depreciation in value.

I think infrared heating is quite nice in front of the shower or by the sofa. Just where you want to warm up quickly. Using it to heat an entire room feels a bit like sitting by a campfire. Like a grill function for your face, with a goosebumps effect on your back.

tomtom79 schrieb:

Whether it works or not aside, I found the heat from the infrared heater unpleasant. It feels very warm in specific spots and is quite slow to warm up a whole room.

I only know it as a supplementary heater for the bathroom to prevent mirrors from fogging up or as a small heater for the garage when working in there.
I can hardly imagine it being used as a full-room heating solution.

nordanney schrieb:

At night and from October to March as well?

Meaning also from the mains socket — in winter, the solar thermal system won’t provide hot water, and the photovoltaic system won’t generate enough electricity for the tankless water heater. A domestic hot water heat pump would be a sensible solution.

Overall, I’m completely against this idea.

That’s always the problem — the highest energy demand occurs when energy generation is at its lowest. A battery storage system won’t keep you going for long either, as its capacity is limited.

Mycraft schrieb:

Infrared heating works well... in Spain.

There are also recurring reports from people who regretted relying on it. One important point to consider is that houses with infrared heating systems tend to suffer significant depreciation in value.

That completely confirms my suspicion. There must be a reason why almost no one uses it. Here in the Black Forest, where winters are still quite pronounced, heating is definitely important.
I have also thought about how exotic this solution would be. Especially if you avoid the piping work needed for underfloor heating, you end up with a permanent problem since underfloor systems are almost impossible to retrofit. If the system doesn’t meet expectations, you’re stuck.
Regarding the resale value of the house, a conventional system is definitely better.

My inclination, despite all the supposed advantages, is to stick with a traditional setup (air-to-water heat pump, photovoltaic system with battery storage, and underfloor heating). This setup is also adaptable for almost any future heating technology, should the heat pump be replaced.