ᐅ Is the additional cost of an air-to-water heat pump compared to gas justified?
Created on: 13 Feb 2022 14:20
S
SoL
Hello everyone,
I could use your advice on choosing a heating system. We (2 adults, 4 children) are currently in talks with a general contractor (GC) about a house, and so far it sounds pretty good. The scope of work is acceptable. We are not aiming for a specific KfW energy standard but expect to land somewhere between 70 and 55. The heating load calculation is not finished yet since the contract is not signed.
The GC’s standard offer includes the following:
Gas heating: Vaillant auroCOMPACT VSC S 206/4-5 190 condensing compact unit
Rated at 20 kW (wow, why?)
Includes a 190 L (50 gallons) hot water storage tank, plus 2.5 m² (27 ft²) of solar thermal collectors as a package.
Alternatively, he offers an air-to-water heat pump as a substitute for the gas heating and solar thermal system:
Thermia iTec Plus with 9 kW output, cooling function, and a 300 L (79 gallons) hot water storage tank alongside.
I would actually prefer to go with the heat pump, but:
The additional cost for the heat pump solution is a hefty €8,100. For that, we wouldn't need a gas connection...
Maybe I’m mistaken or the math doesn’t add up, but does it really pay off to choose the heat pump?
Even if you achieve a COP of 3.5 or 4, the extra cost of €8,100 minus €2,500 for the gas connection = €5,600 would only pay off very, very late.
At €0.30 per kWh electricity and 10,000 kWh annual consumption with a COP of 4, the cost would be €750. At a gas price of €0.10, the cost would be €1,000. So the difference is €250 per year, meaning the extra cost (ignoring the solar thermal system) would only amortize after 22 years.
Is that correct, or am I missing something / making an error in the calculation? Given the additional cost, I am leaning towards gas, possibly with an extra hot water storage tank.
Thanks and best regards
SoL
I could use your advice on choosing a heating system. We (2 adults, 4 children) are currently in talks with a general contractor (GC) about a house, and so far it sounds pretty good. The scope of work is acceptable. We are not aiming for a specific KfW energy standard but expect to land somewhere between 70 and 55. The heating load calculation is not finished yet since the contract is not signed.
The GC’s standard offer includes the following:
Gas heating: Vaillant auroCOMPACT VSC S 206/4-5 190 condensing compact unit
Rated at 20 kW (wow, why?)
Includes a 190 L (50 gallons) hot water storage tank, plus 2.5 m² (27 ft²) of solar thermal collectors as a package.
Alternatively, he offers an air-to-water heat pump as a substitute for the gas heating and solar thermal system:
Thermia iTec Plus with 9 kW output, cooling function, and a 300 L (79 gallons) hot water storage tank alongside.
I would actually prefer to go with the heat pump, but:
The additional cost for the heat pump solution is a hefty €8,100. For that, we wouldn't need a gas connection...
Maybe I’m mistaken or the math doesn’t add up, but does it really pay off to choose the heat pump?
Even if you achieve a COP of 3.5 or 4, the extra cost of €8,100 minus €2,500 for the gas connection = €5,600 would only pay off very, very late.
At €0.30 per kWh electricity and 10,000 kWh annual consumption with a COP of 4, the cost would be €750. At a gas price of €0.10, the cost would be €1,000. So the difference is €250 per year, meaning the extra cost (ignoring the solar thermal system) would only amortize after 22 years.
Is that correct, or am I missing something / making an error in the calculation? Given the additional cost, I am leaning towards gas, possibly with an extra hot water storage tank.
Thanks and best regards
SoL
D
Daniel-Sp13 Feb 2022 19:08What is there really to wait for?
Do I also need to service my refrigerator?
You can clean the air ducts yourself, and even my wife can check the fluid level of the underfloor heating system...
The poor durability is probably more related to poor hydraulics and system settings than to the maintenance performed. And if the installer of the flawed system also handles the maintenance, that won’t help either...
Do I also need to service my refrigerator?
You can clean the air ducts yourself, and even my wife can check the fluid level of the underfloor heating system...
The poor durability is probably more related to poor hydraulics and system settings than to the maintenance performed. And if the installer of the flawed system also handles the maintenance, that won’t help either...
askforafriend13 Feb 2022 19:27Daniel-Sp schrieb:
… and even my wife can check the fill level of the underfloor heating...This is off-topic now, but do you live in the Middle Ages?
askforafriend13 Feb 2022 19:29Nordlys schrieb:
For a steep additional cost. If I were a builder and knew that heat pumps are trendy, I would also offer gas as the standard, fully aware that most people don’t want it, and then charge a premium to sell heat pumps. That’s just how the market works. That’s why I never wanted to build with a general contractor. Everything would be way too non-transparent for me. We also started out considering general contractors, and all the extra costs they added – when you then searched online, it was impossible to understand or justify them.
D
Daniel-Sp13 Feb 2022 19:40No, but my wife has nothing to do with technology and still manages and can do it. I thought about writing it like that but wanted to provoke a little.
askforafriend13 Feb 2022 20:09You wanted to provoke? I don’t understand.
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