Good day!
I am the type of person who likes to address and solve things before they become a problem. Therefore, I am considering whether there is a sensible way to move away from heating oil without switching to natural gas. Based on some basic data, can you roughly estimate what might be possible?
The total usable area of the house is 300 square meters, of which 178 square meters (about 1917 square feet) is living space. The difference mainly consists of basement rooms, which I partly use for my freelance work. Two adults and one child live in the house; both adults also work from home. We use about 3,000 liters (approximately 792 gallons) of heating oil per year (around 10 liters (2.6 gallons) per square meter including hot water) and consume about 8,000 kWh of electricity, as we also charge two electric cars.
The house is built with 24 cm (9.4 inches) thick solid Liapor elements, which provide excellent thermal buffering: in summer it remains cool for a long time, and in autumn it stays warm for a long time. Outside, there is 6 cm (2.4 inches) of mineral insulation, followed by a 4 cm (1.6 inches) air gap, and then a brick cladding. The wooden windows are double-glazed. The house has a carpentry-style roof structure with 20 cm (7.9 inches) of mineral insulation, and during the interior work we paid close attention to precise airtightness.
The oil-fired central heating system is now 22 years old but still runs very well. We do not have underfloor heating but radiators in every room. The flow temperature is about 40°C (104°F), and we operate a heating curve roughly as flat as that used for underfloor heating. Our roof shape (half-hipped roof with four gable dormers) is not suitable for photovoltaic panels; however, the garage roof (gable roof with about 30° pitch, ridge orientation north-south) offers space for about 70 square meters (around 753 square feet) of photovoltaic panels, half facing east and half west, with no shading from trees. Between the garage and the house, I have already installed a 5x16 square NyY cable (50 meters long (164 feet)) because that is where the cars are charged. So, if photovoltaic panels are installed on the garage roof, the inverter and control system could be housed in the garage, and there is also space beside the garage for battery storage. There is sufficient garden space for ground collectors as well.
Now I am wondering: is there a reasonable overall concept involving photovoltaics, battery storage, heat pump, and flat plate collectors? I would like to remove the oil tank but do not want a gas connection. Under these conditions, is it possible to achieve a relatively high degree of self-sufficiency for much of the year, so that only a small amount of electricity needs to be purchased, while avoiding the risk of running out of heat in cold periods?
Ideally, I would like to commission an independent energy consultant for such a concept, but I have no idea how to find someone who approaches this in a technology-neutral way while keeping an eye on political decisions that, of course, cannot be predicted now regarding how they will develop over the coming years. If you act too early, you might regret it later when stronger subsidies become available; but if you wait too long, you might have to endure rising oil and electricity prices for a longer period. Besides, I simply no longer find it acceptable to burn oil or gas.
Matthias
I am the type of person who likes to address and solve things before they become a problem. Therefore, I am considering whether there is a sensible way to move away from heating oil without switching to natural gas. Based on some basic data, can you roughly estimate what might be possible?
The total usable area of the house is 300 square meters, of which 178 square meters (about 1917 square feet) is living space. The difference mainly consists of basement rooms, which I partly use for my freelance work. Two adults and one child live in the house; both adults also work from home. We use about 3,000 liters (approximately 792 gallons) of heating oil per year (around 10 liters (2.6 gallons) per square meter including hot water) and consume about 8,000 kWh of electricity, as we also charge two electric cars.
The house is built with 24 cm (9.4 inches) thick solid Liapor elements, which provide excellent thermal buffering: in summer it remains cool for a long time, and in autumn it stays warm for a long time. Outside, there is 6 cm (2.4 inches) of mineral insulation, followed by a 4 cm (1.6 inches) air gap, and then a brick cladding. The wooden windows are double-glazed. The house has a carpentry-style roof structure with 20 cm (7.9 inches) of mineral insulation, and during the interior work we paid close attention to precise airtightness.
The oil-fired central heating system is now 22 years old but still runs very well. We do not have underfloor heating but radiators in every room. The flow temperature is about 40°C (104°F), and we operate a heating curve roughly as flat as that used for underfloor heating. Our roof shape (half-hipped roof with four gable dormers) is not suitable for photovoltaic panels; however, the garage roof (gable roof with about 30° pitch, ridge orientation north-south) offers space for about 70 square meters (around 753 square feet) of photovoltaic panels, half facing east and half west, with no shading from trees. Between the garage and the house, I have already installed a 5x16 square NyY cable (50 meters long (164 feet)) because that is where the cars are charged. So, if photovoltaic panels are installed on the garage roof, the inverter and control system could be housed in the garage, and there is also space beside the garage for battery storage. There is sufficient garden space for ground collectors as well.
Now I am wondering: is there a reasonable overall concept involving photovoltaics, battery storage, heat pump, and flat plate collectors? I would like to remove the oil tank but do not want a gas connection. Under these conditions, is it possible to achieve a relatively high degree of self-sufficiency for much of the year, so that only a small amount of electricity needs to be purchased, while avoiding the risk of running out of heat in cold periods?
Ideally, I would like to commission an independent energy consultant for such a concept, but I have no idea how to find someone who approaches this in a technology-neutral way while keeping an eye on political decisions that, of course, cannot be predicted now regarding how they will develop over the coming years. If you act too early, you might regret it later when stronger subsidies become available; but if you wait too long, you might have to endure rising oil and electricity prices for a longer period. Besides, I simply no longer find it acceptable to burn oil or gas.
Matthias
Your main challenge will be determining the maximum supply temperature you have needed so far when it gets really cold outside.
What is the design temperature for your area according to DIN standards? (Here it’s -13°C (9°F))
At that temperature, the existing radiators might already be undersized.
Alternatively, with the current radiators, a bivalent heating system could be possible, where the second heat source (e.g., a gas condensing boiler) only activates at low outdoor temperatures (e.g., below -5°C (23°F)).
Since this backup would rarely run during the heating season, it could even operate on propane (using multiple 33kg (73 lb) cylinders) if there is no natural gas supply in your area. The heat pump would handle the rest.
Photovoltaics as direct heating won’t help because they typically don’t produce sufficient power when it’s too cold outside.
Or, alternatively, you could enlarge the radiators for the heat pump. Possibly consider wall heating?
What is the design temperature for your area according to DIN standards? (Here it’s -13°C (9°F))
At that temperature, the existing radiators might already be undersized.
Alternatively, with the current radiators, a bivalent heating system could be possible, where the second heat source (e.g., a gas condensing boiler) only activates at low outdoor temperatures (e.g., below -5°C (23°F)).
Since this backup would rarely run during the heating season, it could even operate on propane (using multiple 33kg (73 lb) cylinders) if there is no natural gas supply in your area. The heat pump would handle the rest.
Photovoltaics as direct heating won’t help because they typically don’t produce sufficient power when it’s too cold outside.
Or, alternatively, you could enlarge the radiators for the heat pump. Possibly consider wall heating?
A wall heating system would certainly be a nice solution, unlike underfloor heating, but it would also require an enormous effort because the entire screed would have to be removed, making the house uninhabitable for an estimated six months.
I would need to monitor how much the supply temperature rises when it is really cold outside, but we haven’t had such cold weather in Berlin for years. I find the idea of having a propane gas cylinder as a backup quite interesting. It could be hidden somehow in the front garden among plants, similar to how the heat pump has to be concealed.
Natural gas is available on the street, but I do not want a gas connection, especially if I might only need it a few days a year.
I would need to monitor how much the supply temperature rises when it is really cold outside, but we haven’t had such cold weather in Berlin for years. I find the idea of having a propane gas cylinder as a backup quite interesting. It could be hidden somehow in the front garden among plants, similar to how the heat pump has to be concealed.
Natural gas is available on the street, but I do not want a gas connection, especially if I might only need it a few days a year.
So, a house built in 1999 with a consumption of 3,000 liters (about 792 gallons) is, in my opinion, very high. My sister also built a house in 1999, with a living area of around 160m2 (1,722 sq ft), but only uses 800-900 liters (211-238 gallons) of oil plus 2-3 steres of wood.
I would first investigate where the oil is being lost.
I would first investigate where the oil is being lost.
Underfloor heating can also be installed by milling into the floor. Ceiling heating is also an option.
You will probably have to increase the heating surface area.
Keep the supply temperature as low as possible this winter, heating continuously 24/7.
I can imagine that heating the basement rooms consumes a lot of energy.
Additionally, you can have a heat meter installed to determine the house’s energy consumption.
You will probably have to increase the heating surface area.
Keep the supply temperature as low as possible this winter, heating continuously 24/7.
I can imagine that heating the basement rooms consumes a lot of energy.
Additionally, you can have a heat meter installed to determine the house’s energy consumption.
Pianist schrieb:
There is also enough garden space for ground collectors.In that case, using a heat pump as the heat source would be an obvious option. You can generate electricity yourself, or buy it as green energy or standard supply. Perhaps your car battery could be the energy storage solution of the future, also supplying the heating system.
Insulating the basement to reduce overall energy consumption is another option.
A remote diagnosis is difficult.
I consider climate predictions claiming no frost and weeks of temperatures below -15°C (5°F) to be unreliable and like crystal ball guessing.
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