ᐅ Air-to-water heat pump, hydronic pellet stove, and photovoltaic system
Created on: 21 Feb 2018 17:14
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DanielaS
Hello everyone,
We will start the groundworks for our new house next week and have a technical question. My husband would like to have a pellet stove in the living room that is water-heated and can support the air-to-water heat pump. The reason is the comfortable heat and, of course, energy consumption.
We are also planning a photovoltaic system, with or without storage; we have yet to decide on that.
Our air-to-water heat pump is subsidized by BAFA, and the pellet stove might also be eligible for BAFA funding, but we are unsure whether BAFA supports both at the same time for new builds. Do you have any experience with this?
What are your thoughts on this topic? I don’t want to introduce unnecessary technology into the house, but retrofitting is quite difficult.
Key information:
177 sqm (1900 sq ft) solid construction townhouse
4 people (2 children)
Estimated electricity demand with air-to-water heat pump: 7000 kWh per year
Underfloor heating and no ventilation system
Water consumption normal (rather economical), rarely bathing, etc.
If you need any more information, just let me know. Thanks!!
We will start the groundworks for our new house next week and have a technical question. My husband would like to have a pellet stove in the living room that is water-heated and can support the air-to-water heat pump. The reason is the comfortable heat and, of course, energy consumption.
We are also planning a photovoltaic system, with or without storage; we have yet to decide on that.
Our air-to-water heat pump is subsidized by BAFA, and the pellet stove might also be eligible for BAFA funding, but we are unsure whether BAFA supports both at the same time for new builds. Do you have any experience with this?
What are your thoughts on this topic? I don’t want to introduce unnecessary technology into the house, but retrofitting is quite difficult.
Key information:
177 sqm (1900 sq ft) solid construction townhouse
4 people (2 children)
Estimated electricity demand with air-to-water heat pump: 7000 kWh per year
Underfloor heating and no ventilation system
Water consumption normal (rather economical), rarely bathing, etc.
If you need any more information, just let me know. Thanks!!
For BAFA funding, the heat pump must be listed in the corresponding official list, and a specialist contractor’s declaration for calculating the annual performance factor must be provided. There is also a BAFA form for this, in which the executing company records the hot water and heating demand as well as the model, resulting in a theoretical annual performance factor. If this is equal to or greater than 4.5, the subsidy is granted; otherwise, it is not. Actual performance afterwards is considered irrelevant.
Combination of pellet and air-to-water heat pump: From a primary energy perspective, a bivalent air-to-water heat pump can make sense, and BAFA funding is not excluded if the secondary energy source is renewable. This applies to pellets.
Overall, the system will naturally be more expensive, so savings there are limited. If you want a fireplace in the living area, this is certainly the most environmentally clean solution and also more comfortable compared to a traditional wood stove. However, do not underestimate the space requirements for the additional larger storage tank and the pellet storage.
Combination of pellet and air-to-water heat pump: From a primary energy perspective, a bivalent air-to-water heat pump can make sense, and BAFA funding is not excluded if the secondary energy source is renewable. This applies to pellets.
Overall, the system will naturally be more expensive, so savings there are limited. If you want a fireplace in the living area, this is certainly the most environmentally clean solution and also more comfortable compared to a traditional wood stove. However, do not underestimate the space requirements for the additional larger storage tank and the pellet storage.
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Deliverer22 Feb 2018 10:02The lists for the seasonal performance factor (SPF) are only partially helpful, as the SPF is calculated specifically for your location and individual conditions. So please discuss this with your energy consultant before planning your budget.
Regarding cost-effectiveness, I agree with the previous comments: just the chimney sweep costs alone exceed any potential energy savings from the air-to-water heat pump. Also, the maintenance costs of the additional heating system are higher than any possible energy savings.
This means that even if you received the pellet stove, piping, additional control technology, chimney, AND the space for storing pellets for free, you would still end up paying more in the long run.
Regarding cost-effectiveness, I agree with the previous comments: just the chimney sweep costs alone exceed any potential energy savings from the air-to-water heat pump. Also, the maintenance costs of the additional heating system are higher than any possible energy savings.
This means that even if you received the pellet stove, piping, additional control technology, chimney, AND the space for storing pellets for free, you would still end up paying more in the long run.
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Baumfachmann22 Feb 2018 10:11I would avoid the pellet stove and instead buy a standard wood-burning stove, which isn’t very expensive. Just compare the additional costs.
Thanks to everyone. I have now inquired with the BAFA, and it is possible to apply for both at the same time. Total funding is around 1500 for the air-to-water heat pump and 2000 for the pellet stove. Additional costs for the pellet stove with storage and installation are approximately 6000 € (about 6500 USD), so we would have to cover 4000 € (about 4300 USD). It will take years to make this worthwhile. I suggested to my husband that we buy a nice wood-burning stove and leave it at that [emoji16]
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Deliverer22 Feb 2018 10:28There are several interesting threads in this forum about wood-burning fireplaces in new build homes. I recommend you take a look at them, Daniela.
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