ᐅ Gas heating combined with solar thermal system for new construction

Pinkiponk schrieb:
I wrote a very detailed and lengthy reply to your question but then deleted it because choosing a gas heating system instead of a heat pump is not well received in this forum.

Too bad, I would have liked to read it 🙂

A forum member has already replied. The same member also started a thread about the best way to install the system now so that it can be changed quickly later. That says it all.
And hydrogen is nonsense—for heating in efficient houses as well as for most cars, etc. Only about 20% of the energy actually reaches the end use. With electricity, it’s 80-90%. Also, heating systems cannot simply be converted to hydrogen. Hydrogen will be reserved long-term for applications that REALLY need this refueling option. Especially if you do the math.
@TE If you’re really concerned about money: skip solar and use gas only. Solar doesn’t pay off. If you want a sensible solution considering costs: heat pump without photovoltaics. @kati1337 has an air-to-water heat pump in a new build, I think heating costs are around 50-70€ per month. She can probably explain that better herself. Try to match that with a new gas contract. You can easily compare the numbers.

Pinkiponk schrieb:

with biogas

Where does that come from? And how much will it cost when fossil fuels are no longer allowed?
This is the same nonsense as "I only buy my pellets from sustainably managed German forests." You can do all that, but it only works for a few and will eventually become prohibitively expensive. In the end, it doesn’t change CO2 emissions at all. Carbon released into the air stays in the air.

Heating systems running on hydrogen are also possible but will always require roughly ten times more electricity than heat pumps. How that will ultimately affect the price remains to be seen (probably not).

Biogas is only truly bio if it doesn’t require purchasing corn grown many kilometers away or using grain for production.
We simply have to accept that there won’t be a single perfect alternative. Everyone needs to reduce their energy consumption as much as possible and use it efficiently. Taking 20-minute showers every day or heating grandma’s living room to 25°C (77°F) are not necessary, just as driving 20 km (12 miles) on Sundays to McDonald’s isn’t.
...I’m digressing...sorry

Exactly. Currently, energy crops are grown on 2% of our land area, just to create a green image at the gas station. The climate impact of these plantations is worse than directly using fossil fuels. Furthermore, if the same area were used for photovoltaics, we would already be well advanced in the energy transition with solar power, achieving an energy yield per square meter that is roughly a hundred times higher – I don’t recall the exact figure.

In short: biogas can only realistically come from waste materials. However, it will likely contribute only a very small fraction (in the per mille range) to our heating demand.

SumsumBiene schrieb:

Taking a 20-minute shower every day or having Grandma’s cozy room at 25 degrees Celsius (77°F) doesn’t have to be any more than necessary, just like the drive on Sunday to the McDonald’s located 20 km (12 miles) away.

I believe almost everyone sees opportunities to save energy in different areas. For example, I don’t want to give up a warm home and daily showers, but avoiding air travel, meat products, and population growth worldwide is easier for me. I also only need to drive a car during winter.