ᐅ Trench Collector Ground Source Heat Pump or Air Source Heat Pump?
Created on: 1 Mar 2015 10:25
L
Legurit
Hello everyone,
We had our first meeting with the builder yesterday. He quickly dismissed the heating topic since there is no gas connection but gave us some contact addresses.
The house has roughly 190 m² (2,045 sq ft) of living space and a heating demand of 6,600 kWh/year, or about 6 kW heating load.
So far, we have planned to install a ground-source heat pump with a horizontal collector, but the builder rightly pointed out that he would prefer some maneuvering space around the house. In the pink forum, there is a community advocating for DIY horizontal collectors, saying that the trenches including materials could be done for around €2,000. Including the heat pump gross price of €10,000, that would be €12,000 total. An air-source heat pump would cost at least that much for the unit alone.
Unfortunately, we are already a bit overwhelmed with the house planning and are not sure if we would trust ourselves to do the DIY installation. Does anyone have experience with the costs when contracting out the trenching and pipe laying?
As for consumption, we found a factor of about 1.5. So the air-source heat pump would be around 50% more expensive to operate than the ground-source heat pump, but we wouldn’t have to dig (in absolute terms, about €180 per year). We are also unsure whether having a photovoltaic system would be beneficial or not (we are skeptical).
Thanks for your experiences and advice.
We had our first meeting with the builder yesterday. He quickly dismissed the heating topic since there is no gas connection but gave us some contact addresses.
The house has roughly 190 m² (2,045 sq ft) of living space and a heating demand of 6,600 kWh/year, or about 6 kW heating load.
So far, we have planned to install a ground-source heat pump with a horizontal collector, but the builder rightly pointed out that he would prefer some maneuvering space around the house. In the pink forum, there is a community advocating for DIY horizontal collectors, saying that the trenches including materials could be done for around €2,000. Including the heat pump gross price of €10,000, that would be €12,000 total. An air-source heat pump would cost at least that much for the unit alone.
Unfortunately, we are already a bit overwhelmed with the house planning and are not sure if we would trust ourselves to do the DIY installation. Does anyone have experience with the costs when contracting out the trenching and pipe laying?
As for consumption, we found a factor of about 1.5. So the air-source heat pump would be around 50% more expensive to operate than the ground-source heat pump, but we wouldn’t have to dig (in absolute terms, about €180 per year). We are also unsure whether having a photovoltaic system would be beneficial or not (we are skeptical).
Thanks for your experiences and advice.
I can only share my/our data. We have 190 sqm (2,045 sq ft) of usable space and about 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) of living space.
We are still deciding which heating system to choose. I find it really difficult. At first, we were sure we didn’t want an air source heat pump because of the "noise." However, our structural builder then asked why we would spend so much money on geothermal heating when, for the same amount, we could get an air-to-water heat pump plus a photovoltaic system and recover the electricity costs.
We will probably still opt for geothermal, as I just can’t get used to having a fan in the garden, and I always find the fans and the humming of the motors in new developments unpleasant to hear.
Currently, we have offers with the following costs:
- Air source heat pump (from Thermia) $16,000 (including installation, refrigerant, etc.)
- Geothermal heat pump (from Thermia) $23,000 (including groundwork, piping, connections, etc.) Sand for backfilling will be an additional cost for us.
- Pellet heating with wood backup (from Gilles) about $23,000
We won’t do a DIY trench collector; if anything, we will have everything installed by a professional provider. That would be too risky for me, especially concerning the connections and joints. According to our provider, for example, the couplings are possible weak points where roots could penetrate and damage the pipes.
From a purely financial perspective, the geothermal system will probably only pay off for us in about 15 years... But, as always, it’s also a matter of gut feeling and trust.
If I were you, I would seriously take a closer look at those air source heat pumps. Where could yours reasonably be placed, and how much would the "noise" bother you? It would be unfortunate if the heat pump could be heard from the bedroom windows, for example. We have seen situations where the air-to-water heat pump was installed next to the front door with the garden behind it and the pump’s back facing the house. That way, the pump would likely never be heard from the garden or terrace.
You sound like you might prefer an air-to-water heat pump over a ground source one? If you prefer an air-to-water heat pump, that’s definitely not a bad way to heat your home. I would definitely pay attention to the model (noise level, performance, maintenance costs) and the seasonal performance factor of the air-to-water heat pump. The BAFA also has a list with actual COP values at different outdoor air temperatures.
We are still deciding which heating system to choose. I find it really difficult. At first, we were sure we didn’t want an air source heat pump because of the "noise." However, our structural builder then asked why we would spend so much money on geothermal heating when, for the same amount, we could get an air-to-water heat pump plus a photovoltaic system and recover the electricity costs.
We will probably still opt for geothermal, as I just can’t get used to having a fan in the garden, and I always find the fans and the humming of the motors in new developments unpleasant to hear.
Currently, we have offers with the following costs:
- Air source heat pump (from Thermia) $16,000 (including installation, refrigerant, etc.)
- Geothermal heat pump (from Thermia) $23,000 (including groundwork, piping, connections, etc.) Sand for backfilling will be an additional cost for us.
- Pellet heating with wood backup (from Gilles) about $23,000
We won’t do a DIY trench collector; if anything, we will have everything installed by a professional provider. That would be too risky for me, especially concerning the connections and joints. According to our provider, for example, the couplings are possible weak points where roots could penetrate and damage the pipes.
From a purely financial perspective, the geothermal system will probably only pay off for us in about 15 years... But, as always, it’s also a matter of gut feeling and trust.
If I were you, I would seriously take a closer look at those air source heat pumps. Where could yours reasonably be placed, and how much would the "noise" bother you? It would be unfortunate if the heat pump could be heard from the bedroom windows, for example. We have seen situations where the air-to-water heat pump was installed next to the front door with the garden behind it and the pump’s back facing the house. That way, the pump would likely never be heard from the garden or terrace.
You sound like you might prefer an air-to-water heat pump over a ground source one? If you prefer an air-to-water heat pump, that’s definitely not a bad way to heat your home. I would definitely pay attention to the model (noise level, performance, maintenance costs) and the seasonal performance factor of the air-to-water heat pump. The BAFA also has a list with actual COP values at different outdoor air temperatures.
S
Sebastian796 Mar 2015 12:59WildThing schrieb:
We currently have quotes with the following costs:
- Air-source heat pump (from Thermia) $16,000 (including installation, refrigerant, etc.)
- Ground-source heat pump (from Thermia) $23,000 (including earthworks, piping, connections, etc.) Sand for backfilling will be an additional cost for us
- Pellet boiler with firewood backup operation (from Gilles) approximately $23,000What is included in these costs? The entire heating system including underfloor heating?
WildThing schrieb:
According to our supplier, the couplings can be potential weak points where roots might penetrate and damage the pipes.This can only happen with a trench collector if the roots from the plants in the utility room grow into the couplings... In the garden, there are only pipes.
To implement a trench collector, you need some pioneering spirit and a lot of self-initiative. Support from the builder is rather rare because (almost) no one is familiar with it yet...
B
Bauexperte6 Mar 2015 13:34Hello,
Regards, Bauexperte
oleda222 schrieb:That is not correct, as it is not that new.
To install a trench collector, you need some pioneering spirit and a lot of self-initiative. Support from the building contractor is rare because (almost) no one knows about it yet...
Regards, Bauexperte
Well, the concept is not new and has been used for decades, that's true. However, at least in the local market, trench collectors are not very widely established. Otherwise, there would be a larger number of professional providers offering trench collectors or solid arguments from professionals against them.
Unfortunately, I have not come across any provider offering this professionally, nor any convincing reasons against it. Because of this, every single homeowner has to convince both the builder and, in some cases, the heat pump manufacturer of the concept each time (such as the lower brine concentration, etc.).
Unfortunately, I have not come across any provider offering this professionally, nor any convincing reasons against it. Because of this, every single homeowner has to convince both the builder and, in some cases, the heat pump manufacturer of the concept each time (such as the lower brine concentration, etc.).
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