ᐅ Is it possible to have gas heating without solar panels in a new build?

We are currently planning our new build and struggling with the heating system. The living area of the house is about 165 m² (1776 ft²) plus a heated basement that is rarely used. The house features KfW40-level insulation, controlled mechanical ventilation, and underfloor heating.

Originally, we wanted to install a heat pump, but the prices for heat pumps are outrageous. Even with rising gas prices (electricity prices have also increased), we wouldn’t be able to recoup the initial investment (the additional cost for an air heat pump compared to gas from various builders is around €15,000-20,000). Therefore, we are planning to go with gas heating, with the option to switch to a heat pump later on.

The KfW40 subsidy is no longer available, and I am wondering if it is possible to install a gas condensing boiler without solar thermal panels under the building energy law, given that we already have good insulation and controlled mechanical ventilation. The idea is to save costs and leave more room for photovoltaic panels in the future. Does anyone have experience with this?

Short and to the point... No.
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You can save even more money if you choose a used gas boiler. Thousands of them are currently being removed because hardly anyone wants to put up with that madness anymore. ;-)

Regarding the extra costs: You really need to calculate properly. How much does the gas connection cost? Plus the boiler and the buffer tank, which is not needed with a heat pump. You can also skip the ERR, which saves several thousand. Costs can’t add up to an extra $15,000, since the heat pump doesn’t even cost half that amount, and the rest actually tends to be cheaper.

So it’s best to get detailed quotes instead of being brushed off over the phone with “At least $20,000 more!”

Thanks for your answers! I just did some more research myself, and it seems it would be possible if I install photovoltaic panels on the roof.

@Deliverer: The gas connection costs about €1300 (conservative estimate) for us. If I leave out the ERR, wouldn't that mean I'm not comparing "apples to apples" (i.e., I would then also have to exclude it for gas)? The offer includes a Tecalor THZ 504 air-source heat pump (combined unit with controlled residential ventilation), and for gas it would be a Wolf CSZ with Tecalor TVZ 180 (the cost difference is €19,000). I had calculated a heating demand of 12,000 kWh including all hot water for 2 adults and 2 small children. The annual cost savings would be €586 with the heat pump based on new contracts for gas and electricity as of today on Check24. It just doesn’t seem like it will ever pay off...

derFriese schrieb:

Calculated heating demand of 12,000 kWh

Wow. Including heavy consumers like a whirlpool, we have about half that...
How do you get figures like that?

Nemesis schrieb:

Wow. Including high consumers like the whirlpool, we use about half that much...
How do you get numbers like that?

This is the amount of heat energy (kWh gas). With a heat pump, it would be only about a quarter (I included that in my calculation—assuming an annual performance factor of 4). The 12 MWh is the average here from the forum (maybe a bit conservative, but basically it doesn’t make much difference—in the case of 10 MWh, the difference per year would be €617).