ᐅ Heat pump or solar thermal system with radiators

Hello, I’m not sure if this is the right place, but I’ll give it a try:

We fell in love with a house, and everything seems fine except for one thing.
The heating/hot water system is entirely gas-based (gas instant water heater).

The house was built in 1886 and was fully renovated in 2001 according to the building energy act (the heating system is about the same age). A few key points:
- Radiators installed only in the bathroom and partially in the living room, which also has underfloor heating
- No basement
- Very small utility room, about 4 sqm (43 sq ft), approximately 1.14 m (3.7 ft) wide and 4.08 m (13.4 ft) long
- Low ceiling height (approximately 2.15 m (7 ft) downstairs and 1.96–1.98 m (6.4–6.5 ft) upstairs)

Now we are considering alternative options, so here are my questions (think of them as brainstorming for ideas):
- An energy consultant suggested solar thermal, but it seems the storage tank might not fit in the utility room?
- Would an air-source heat pump work with just radiators?
- What other solutions might be possible? There is no fireplace either. I don’t have much experience, so I’m a bit stuck.

I hope this information is helpful. I’m just looking for some ideas, not a complete solution.
Thanks!!

sven_de schrieb:

- The energy consultant suggests solar thermal, but it seems there won’t be space for the storage tank in the utility room?

And what heating system does the consultant recommend? Solar thermal provides hot water in summer – but in winter when there’s no sun, it doesn’t do much.

sven_de schrieb:

- Would an air source heat pump work with only radiators?

That can work depending on the property. You need to calculate the heating load of each room and determine which radiators (combined with a heat pump) are suitable.

sven_de schrieb:

- What other options are there? There’s no fireplace either. I don’t have much experience, so I’m a bit stuck.

I would consider whether you could install a heat pump.

You don’t want to live with those ceiling heights, right? Is there any flexibility in the ceiling construction, or does the build not allow for it? That would be a deal-breaker for me...

i_b_n_a_n schrieb:

You wouldn’t want to live with ceiling heights like that, right?
Is there any flexibility in the ceiling heights, or does the construction method not allow it? That would be a deal-breaker for me...

I thought the same. 1.98 m (6.5 ft). How is that supposed to work? On the plus side, you’d need to heat less. 8-)

sven_de schrieb:

Hello, I’m not sure if this is the right place, but I’ll give it a try:

We fell in love with a house, everything fits except for one thing.
...

It’s like falling in love with a woman 😉 At first, you see everything through rose-colored glasses.

But a building renovated 20 years ago according to the Energy Saving Ordinance, where the too-low ceiling heights (not considered living space according to DIN standards!) were not raised... wasn’t that money thrown away? Who does something so foolish? I would never invest in such a building in my life, and I still own a property in my family since its construction (around 1750) with some very low ceilings. When it’s gone by the end of the year, I’ll be relieved. Never ever would I choose to live in something like that unless I could reasonably raise the room heights...

Maybe a few pictures say more than words, and the house has such an irresistible charm that even I wouldn’t be able to resist?

i_b_n_a_n schrieb:

Is there any flexibility left in the ceilings, or does the construction not allow for that? That would be a deal-breaker for me...

Well... you could also call it cozy 😉