So the plans are basically finalized...
Now the only question is which heating system to choose. My father owns a plumbing supply business (I get everything below purchase price), so I really want to pick something good for the future!
Geothermal?
Solar?
Wood?
Gas?
I’m completely undecided and would appreciate any advice!
Now the only question is which heating system to choose. My father owns a plumbing supply business (I get everything below purchase price), so I really want to pick something good for the future!
Geothermal?
Solar?
Wood?
Gas?
I’m completely undecided and would appreciate any advice!
Hi,
Anyone who has the opportunity today to use environmentally friendly energy should definitely do so. Besides being good for the climate, it also saves money. So, consider geothermal energy and solar power, preferably in combination, as that is the best choice for the future.
Anyone who has the opportunity today to use environmentally friendly energy should definitely do so. Besides being good for the climate, it also saves money. So, consider geothermal energy and solar power, preferably in combination, as that is the best choice for the future.
H
Honigkuchen9 Jan 2009 09:57Hm.. Good question. Very individual.
Well, geothermal energy...
This year we plan to build a low-energy house, which, thanks to good insulation, uses much less energy than a “conventional” house. We are currently deciding on which heating system to choose.
We definitely don’t want those rather unattractive radiators anymore.
Besides, they take up living space.
Of course, no oil or gas either, since those are getting more expensive, obviously.
If you have a passive house or even an energy-plus house, you hardly need any additional heating; solar energy and maybe a wood stove or something similar might be enough.
For a house that is not passive but below KfW60 standard 🙂 like the one we want, we are going with underfloor heating that is circulated with water.
There are several ways to operate this system. Electricity is expensive and getting more expensive, especially since oil/gas prices keep rising and electricity providers justify their price increases accordingly.
You can nicely combine underfloor heating with solar energy; solar thermal collectors feed your hot water storage tank with heat, warming the water you use for showering, for example, but also partly heating your underfloor system.
If you—especially in a well-insulated, airtight house—also install a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery (not cheap, but definitely worthwhile), it will automatically ventilate your home (removing any residual moisture so you don't have to manually ventilate), and the system can recover residual heat (from showering, cooking, body heat, stove, etc.) and transfer it to the incoming fresh air—or even store that excess heat and then supply it back to your underfloor heating. This creates a quite cost-effective setup.
How cost-effective this is for each individual can only be determined by a specialist who knows all the exact figures. You would then have to calculate the acquisition, installation, and maintenance costs over the next 10, 20, or 30 years and see what works best for you.
By the way, per person in the household, you need about 50–100 liters (13–26 gallons) of hot water storage per day; depending on the type of collector, that requires about 1–1.5 square meters (11–16 square feet) of collector area per person.
To operate heating solely with solar collectors, you would need approximately 1 square meter (11 square feet) per 5 square meters (54 square feet) of living space!—which is quite a lot of roof space that most people don’t have, and it’s also very expensive. But you may get financial support from KfW, federal/state governments, or local authorities.
For us, since we have a pitched roof with limited space and a tight budget, solar thermal collectors for hot water preparation are profitable; for underfloor heating? Probably not, except as a small supplement when there is enough sun. So we are also getting a mechanical ventilation system, which we would need anyway in a solid low-energy house. No mold, always fresh air, and residual heat is used.
In winter, when the solar system might not suffice for hot water, we would use a wood stove connected to the system; the stove heats the water in the hot water storage, which in turn can supply the underfloor heating.
If you have a few branches from the wood stove system, you can also extend them to the upper floor where, for example, bedrooms and children’s rooms might be, and maybe even to the (party) basement?
- For wood stoves, you’ll need storage space for wood (logs, wood chips, or pellets), of course. And pellet stoves and similar are not exactly cheap either. They can cost around $12,000 or so.
Plus, you have to pay for the chimney and the chimney sweep who inspects it regularly.
Geothermal energy... well, the brine systems are said to be the most effective but probably cost around €18,000 (about $20,000). Sure, you might get subsidies; and yes, oil/gas will get more expensive, and eventually it pays off… However, I have often read that geothermal systems only pay off after about 20 years, and no one guarantees (maybe 10 years or so) that you will get the heat from the earth forever. That means at some point, you might face expensive new drillings.
Apart from that—even though I am not an esoteric person—something inside me resists the thought of hammering a 150 or 200 meter (490 or 660 feet) long nail into "Mother Earth." And whether you hit a good spot immediately or need more drillings is uncertain.
And whether your expensive geothermal system will still work in 20 years is another question. I think wood stoves are easier to repair or replace inexpensively.
And yes, you also need electricity to run the geothermal system.
- This is really a very difficult question that everyone must answer individually, based on their specific house and financial situation.
The better insulated a house is, the less (heating) energy you need, and possibly also less electricity.
Therefore, you should calculate roughly what you will need annually, consider a possible family increase in the future, and then think about your heating and hot water system.
If you are building new, you should definitely install conduit pipes for wiring everywhere just to make sure you can run electric cables and maybe solar systems afterward without major hassle, mess, or huge extra costs.
It’s best to get an energy consultation through your local consumer advice center and have the best system calculated for you. These consultations are generally free.
Best regards,
Honigkuchen
Well, geothermal energy...
This year we plan to build a low-energy house, which, thanks to good insulation, uses much less energy than a “conventional” house. We are currently deciding on which heating system to choose.
We definitely don’t want those rather unattractive radiators anymore.
Besides, they take up living space.
Of course, no oil or gas either, since those are getting more expensive, obviously.
If you have a passive house or even an energy-plus house, you hardly need any additional heating; solar energy and maybe a wood stove or something similar might be enough.
For a house that is not passive but below KfW60 standard 🙂 like the one we want, we are going with underfloor heating that is circulated with water.
There are several ways to operate this system. Electricity is expensive and getting more expensive, especially since oil/gas prices keep rising and electricity providers justify their price increases accordingly.
You can nicely combine underfloor heating with solar energy; solar thermal collectors feed your hot water storage tank with heat, warming the water you use for showering, for example, but also partly heating your underfloor system.
If you—especially in a well-insulated, airtight house—also install a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery (not cheap, but definitely worthwhile), it will automatically ventilate your home (removing any residual moisture so you don't have to manually ventilate), and the system can recover residual heat (from showering, cooking, body heat, stove, etc.) and transfer it to the incoming fresh air—or even store that excess heat and then supply it back to your underfloor heating. This creates a quite cost-effective setup.
How cost-effective this is for each individual can only be determined by a specialist who knows all the exact figures. You would then have to calculate the acquisition, installation, and maintenance costs over the next 10, 20, or 30 years and see what works best for you.
By the way, per person in the household, you need about 50–100 liters (13–26 gallons) of hot water storage per day; depending on the type of collector, that requires about 1–1.5 square meters (11–16 square feet) of collector area per person.
To operate heating solely with solar collectors, you would need approximately 1 square meter (11 square feet) per 5 square meters (54 square feet) of living space!—which is quite a lot of roof space that most people don’t have, and it’s also very expensive. But you may get financial support from KfW, federal/state governments, or local authorities.
For us, since we have a pitched roof with limited space and a tight budget, solar thermal collectors for hot water preparation are profitable; for underfloor heating? Probably not, except as a small supplement when there is enough sun. So we are also getting a mechanical ventilation system, which we would need anyway in a solid low-energy house. No mold, always fresh air, and residual heat is used.
In winter, when the solar system might not suffice for hot water, we would use a wood stove connected to the system; the stove heats the water in the hot water storage, which in turn can supply the underfloor heating.
If you have a few branches from the wood stove system, you can also extend them to the upper floor where, for example, bedrooms and children’s rooms might be, and maybe even to the (party) basement?
- For wood stoves, you’ll need storage space for wood (logs, wood chips, or pellets), of course. And pellet stoves and similar are not exactly cheap either. They can cost around $12,000 or so.
Plus, you have to pay for the chimney and the chimney sweep who inspects it regularly.
Geothermal energy... well, the brine systems are said to be the most effective but probably cost around €18,000 (about $20,000). Sure, you might get subsidies; and yes, oil/gas will get more expensive, and eventually it pays off… However, I have often read that geothermal systems only pay off after about 20 years, and no one guarantees (maybe 10 years or so) that you will get the heat from the earth forever. That means at some point, you might face expensive new drillings.
Apart from that—even though I am not an esoteric person—something inside me resists the thought of hammering a 150 or 200 meter (490 or 660 feet) long nail into "Mother Earth." And whether you hit a good spot immediately or need more drillings is uncertain.
And whether your expensive geothermal system will still work in 20 years is another question. I think wood stoves are easier to repair or replace inexpensively.
And yes, you also need electricity to run the geothermal system.
- This is really a very difficult question that everyone must answer individually, based on their specific house and financial situation.
The better insulated a house is, the less (heating) energy you need, and possibly also less electricity.
Therefore, you should calculate roughly what you will need annually, consider a possible family increase in the future, and then think about your heating and hot water system.
If you are building new, you should definitely install conduit pipes for wiring everywhere just to make sure you can run electric cables and maybe solar systems afterward without major hassle, mess, or huge extra costs.
It’s best to get an energy consultation through your local consumer advice center and have the best system calculated for you. These consultations are generally free.
Best regards,
Honigkuchen
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