Hello everyone,
My husband and I attended a home exhibition today featuring a local timber house builder (Schleswig-Holstein) and there we learned about the Vestaxx window heating system.
Is there anyone here who has experience with the Vestaxx window heating?
At first, it sounds unusual to have the heating integrated into the windows. For the triple-glazed windows, a nanotechnology-based, invisible layer is applied to the inner surface of the innermost pane, which warms the glass up to 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) via infrared and heats the room. The warmth actually felt very comfortable, and the windows were completely cold on the outside (today’s temperature was below 10 degrees Celsius (50°F)). Allegedly, the Vestaxx window heating transfers 92% of its heat to the room, and the Technical University of Berlin has tested this Vestaxx window heating system and rated it positively. It appears to have been on the market only recently.
Overall, I find this quite interesting. It is significantly cheaper than other heating systems, allows individual control of each room, and unlike underfloor heating, it is very responsive.
Of course, this only makes sense in a low-energy house (the timber builder mainly constructs 40+ standard homes), as the system runs on electricity. In that case, the Vestaxx window heating is said to consume very little power.
This is my impression from the expo; of course, they want to sell the system.
What are your experiences with Vestaxx? Have you heard of this system before? Could it be an alternative to conventional heating? Does it have a future?
My husband and I attended a home exhibition today featuring a local timber house builder (Schleswig-Holstein) and there we learned about the Vestaxx window heating system.
Is there anyone here who has experience with the Vestaxx window heating?
At first, it sounds unusual to have the heating integrated into the windows. For the triple-glazed windows, a nanotechnology-based, invisible layer is applied to the inner surface of the innermost pane, which warms the glass up to 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) via infrared and heats the room. The warmth actually felt very comfortable, and the windows were completely cold on the outside (today’s temperature was below 10 degrees Celsius (50°F)). Allegedly, the Vestaxx window heating transfers 92% of its heat to the room, and the Technical University of Berlin has tested this Vestaxx window heating system and rated it positively. It appears to have been on the market only recently.
Overall, I find this quite interesting. It is significantly cheaper than other heating systems, allows individual control of each room, and unlike underfloor heating, it is very responsive.
Of course, this only makes sense in a low-energy house (the timber builder mainly constructs 40+ standard homes), as the system runs on electricity. In that case, the Vestaxx window heating is said to consume very little power.
This is my impression from the expo; of course, they want to sell the system.
What are your experiences with Vestaxx? Have you heard of this system before? Could it be an alternative to conventional heating? Does it have a future?
V
Vestaxx GmbH5 Oct 2022 09:57I understand humor and can handle cynical remarks, but I am currently a bit disappointed that this topic is being made fun of here.
I am seriously engaging with the current situation of various building families who may be unsure which heating system is right for them. The decision is final and typically cannot be easily changed for, let’s say, 20 years. Most of these people are not energy experts; they cannot fully understand all the details and are looking for well-founded information in forums like this one.
I admit that probably none of the active participants here have experience with window heating. That is why I have joined this discussion—to shed some light on the subject with understandable data and facts. And if someone ultimately prefers a hydronic (water-based) system, that is completely fine. They simply want technical efficiency rather than the economically ecological (CO2 footprint) solution.
Perhaps a few words on reasonably well-insulated older buildings. Here, it might be possible to remove the fossil fuel heating system and, with subsidies, install a heat pump that operates the existing or possibly new radiators. This would likely work well for the transition period. And if the windows are going to be replaced anyway, the heating glass panels can be used to cover peak demand in the cold winter months. In case of doubt, this is not more expensive than retrofitting an underfloor or ceiling surface heating system.
I am seriously engaging with the current situation of various building families who may be unsure which heating system is right for them. The decision is final and typically cannot be easily changed for, let’s say, 20 years. Most of these people are not energy experts; they cannot fully understand all the details and are looking for well-founded information in forums like this one.
I admit that probably none of the active participants here have experience with window heating. That is why I have joined this discussion—to shed some light on the subject with understandable data and facts. And if someone ultimately prefers a hydronic (water-based) system, that is completely fine. They simply want technical efficiency rather than the economically ecological (CO2 footprint) solution.
Perhaps a few words on reasonably well-insulated older buildings. Here, it might be possible to remove the fossil fuel heating system and, with subsidies, install a heat pump that operates the existing or possibly new radiators. This would likely work well for the transition period. And if the windows are going to be replaced anyway, the heating glass panels can be used to cover peak demand in the cold winter months. In case of doubt, this is not more expensive than retrofitting an underfloor or ceiling surface heating system.
I think it’s sometimes necessary to just look past the nonsense. You’ve already contributed a lot to the topic of the underfloor heating system simply by bringing it up. Before this thread, I didn’t even know it existed.
Still, we are on the internet, and most people here probably haven’t studied electrical engineering with a focus on energy technology. There have been many in-depth discussions where likely 95% of participants didn’t fully understand everything, and among those, about 30% probably thought they did.
I enjoy reading these debates, but I can’t judge who is actually right in the end. If your numbers are correct, it might really be worth considering for renovations. But having such "deep" discussions online with someone is a bit like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter how well you play, in the end the pigeon just knocks over all the pieces and struts around the board as if it won. 😉
Still, we are on the internet, and most people here probably haven’t studied electrical engineering with a focus on energy technology. There have been many in-depth discussions where likely 95% of participants didn’t fully understand everything, and among those, about 30% probably thought they did.
I enjoy reading these debates, but I can’t judge who is actually right in the end. If your numbers are correct, it might really be worth considering for renovations. But having such "deep" discussions online with someone is a bit like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter how well you play, in the end the pigeon just knocks over all the pieces and struts around the board as if it won. 😉
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RotorMotor5 Oct 2022 10:22Vestaxx GmbH schrieb:
So he prefers technical efficiency rather than the economically ecological (CO2 footprint) solution.I would really like to see some numbers to support this claim! So a few pipes embedded in the screed are supposed to require more energy to produce than manufacturing heated windows plus four times the consumption over their lifetime!
Interesting...
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WilderSueden5 Oct 2022 10:37Vestaxx GmbH schrieb:
You could replace the fossil fuel heater with a heat pump, potentially installed with a subsidy, and operate it using the existing or new radiators. This would likely work well during the transitional periods. And if you’re planning to replace the windows anyway, you could use heated glass for peak heating during the cold winter months. But this is a forced marketing of a system. Every heat pump already includes an electric backup heater to cover peak loads. There is absolutely no additional installation effort—zero, nada, niente. To install heating on windows, you first need connections on every window. Since nobody wants exposed surface wiring in the living room, you’d have to open up the walls in an older house. This alone makes window heating impractical for existing buildings. On top of that comes the extra cost compared to regular windows and the need to control two separate heating systems. The heat pump’s electric heater regulates itself automatically based on outdoor temperature. Sorry, but I see no benefit here for older houses. This approach simply duplicates an existing system and creates extra effort and costs.
If this system has any justification, then it’s only in new construction where energy demand is low and the additional wiring involves little effort. However, I still don’t see a clear advantage over a standard infrared heating panel. By the way, an infrared panel radiates 100% of its energy into the building, and if one panel breaks, you can simply buy a new one at a hardware store and replace it yourself. With window heating, you can only hope the provider still exists in 20 years. And when the windows need to be replaced, you throw out the window heating as well.
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Vestaxx GmbH5 Oct 2022 10:38Thank you, Kati – your response gives me confidence and encouragement to continue raising awareness here. It’s not about being right, as that often depends on perspective. My goal is to present alternatives and persuade. Now, I’m about to reply to Rotormotor, who asked me to explain why window heating has a much lower carbon footprint than a few pipes in the floor. I feel like a teacher and honestly don’t have time for this. I would much rather focus on my clients whom I have already convinced, but I will respond anyway.
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Vestaxx GmbH5 Oct 2022 10:39I am new here and don’t know how to display a user’s reply the way you do. Maybe someone can give me a tip. THANKS
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