ᐅ Mandatory heating system rental for new builds – is that allowed?
Created on: 17 Nov 2022 11:23
M
Maulwurfbau
Hello Forum,
I’m new here.
We plan to build and have come across a problem that is causing us a lot of headaches. I would like to hear your opinions on it.
A new residential development is being established in our town. Based on the developments of the last few months, the chances of us getting a plot are quite good. Fewer people want to build now. Money is tighter.
The building regulations are very strict. Among other things, a heat supply concept was developed in cooperation with the local utility company, which to me feels more like a stimulus program for the utility than anything else. But maybe I’m missing something.
For noise reasons, ground source heat collectors are being used, which the utility company is installing over a large area. The heating technology comes from the utility and can be used for a fee for either 10 or 15 years. The costs are outrageous compared to a standard air-to-water heat pump system for a KfW 55 or KfW 40 house.
Regarding the costs:
A one-time construction subsidy and connection fee of about €25,000 (approximately $27,000) must be paid. This covers the collector installation and connection to the network. Then, depending on the capacity of the heat pump provided, a monthly basic fee/service charge for availability of roughly €200 to €280 (approximately $215 to $300) per month for 6 kW must be paid for 10 or 15 years. On top of that, there are the actual heating costs, which here are about 8 cents per kWh (approximately 8 cents per kWh).
I am quite upset because the builders
1) cannot choose their own technology
2) are forced to design their energy system to fit into the utility’s infrastructure
3) am tied to paying the utility a fixed fee for 10 or 15 years
4) after this period, have to either install their own technology at their own expense (there is only a lifelong right to use the heat source) or continue with the utility’s system, possibly with further payments
5) it is not allowed/foreseen to couple the photovoltaic system to the heat exchanger, only to the household electricity (Is this really sustainable?)
What do you think? Of course, geothermal energy is much more efficient than air heat pumps, but if I add everything up, I will have paid between €58,000 and €64,000 (approximately $63,000 to $69,500) over 10 or 15 years (connection costs + technology rental + service fees, etc.) to the local utility, and that doesn’t even include the actual heat costs, which will be additional. I don’t own anything, and after 10–15 years, I have to deal with more costs to figure out what to do next.
I find this extremely exploitative and more like a sustainable stimulus program for the local utility rather than a truly sustainable heating concept.
What am I missing? This whole thing is being sold to the builders as especially sustainable. Environment and all that. And nobody complains; they are building like crazy.
I’m new here.
We plan to build and have come across a problem that is causing us a lot of headaches. I would like to hear your opinions on it.
A new residential development is being established in our town. Based on the developments of the last few months, the chances of us getting a plot are quite good. Fewer people want to build now. Money is tighter.
The building regulations are very strict. Among other things, a heat supply concept was developed in cooperation with the local utility company, which to me feels more like a stimulus program for the utility than anything else. But maybe I’m missing something.
For noise reasons, ground source heat collectors are being used, which the utility company is installing over a large area. The heating technology comes from the utility and can be used for a fee for either 10 or 15 years. The costs are outrageous compared to a standard air-to-water heat pump system for a KfW 55 or KfW 40 house.
Regarding the costs:
A one-time construction subsidy and connection fee of about €25,000 (approximately $27,000) must be paid. This covers the collector installation and connection to the network. Then, depending on the capacity of the heat pump provided, a monthly basic fee/service charge for availability of roughly €200 to €280 (approximately $215 to $300) per month for 6 kW must be paid for 10 or 15 years. On top of that, there are the actual heating costs, which here are about 8 cents per kWh (approximately 8 cents per kWh).
I am quite upset because the builders
1) cannot choose their own technology
2) are forced to design their energy system to fit into the utility’s infrastructure
3) am tied to paying the utility a fixed fee for 10 or 15 years
4) after this period, have to either install their own technology at their own expense (there is only a lifelong right to use the heat source) or continue with the utility’s system, possibly with further payments
5) it is not allowed/foreseen to couple the photovoltaic system to the heat exchanger, only to the household electricity (Is this really sustainable?)
What do you think? Of course, geothermal energy is much more efficient than air heat pumps, but if I add everything up, I will have paid between €58,000 and €64,000 (approximately $63,000 to $69,500) over 10 or 15 years (connection costs + technology rental + service fees, etc.) to the local utility, and that doesn’t even include the actual heat costs, which will be additional. I don’t own anything, and after 10–15 years, I have to deal with more costs to figure out what to do next.
I find this extremely exploitative and more like a sustainable stimulus program for the local utility rather than a truly sustainable heating concept.
What am I missing? This whole thing is being sold to the builders as especially sustainable. Environment and all that. And nobody complains; they are building like crazy.
S
SaniererNRW12317 Nov 2022 15:09Tolentino schrieb:
It was about him wanting to use his photovoltaic electricity for heating at all costs. That would be the solution. I agree with you regarding cooling in the summer. In winter, using the air conditioning system for heating will, as always, be challenging.
M
Maulwurfbau17 Nov 2022 15:21Tolentino schrieb:
It was about the fact that he really wants to use his photovoltaic electricity for heating. That would be the solution. Of course, I don’t have to do it, but I’d rather do that than feed electricity into the grid for 7 cents and then buy more expensive electricity again for heating. It’s that simple.
I do understand that utility companies do a lot to prevent my house from achieving a very high level of energy self-sufficiency, and if it does happen, they naturally want to bind me to other long-term costs. Otherwise, their livelihood disappears. What do they prefer — a customer who pays well over the long term, or one who says over the long term, “I hardly need anything from you because I have my own”?
From the municipal utility’s economic perspective, their approach makes a lot of sense. Many customers send a solid chunk of money into their accounts regularly. That’s called planning security ;-)
By the way, the system is supposed to be able to cool a little bit as well, for which you then have to pay an extra €15 per month over a 15-year contract ;-)
In my opinion, public utilities should operate on a cost-recovery basis rather than for profit in the long term. I would consider central heat source development and participation in investment and maintenance acceptable, although the amounts involved seem too high to me. However, I do not agree with the other conditions regarding heat generation and electricity procurement.
Maulwurfbau schrieb:
The costs are outrageous compared to a standard air-to-water heat pump system for a KfW 55 or KfW 40 house. Yes, very high. You probably have to calculate not only for yourself but also against theoretical alternatives.
Maulwurfbau schrieb:
A one-time construction subsidy and a connection fee of around €25,000 (~$27,000) are to be paid. This covers the collector installation and connection to the grid. Could it be that the “normal” development costs are included here as well? (Roads, utility lines, lighting, playground, planting of common areas) That would make general sense.
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