Hello dear forum,
my son is already building a house and wants to contribute to the energy transition. More specifically, he aims to live (relatively) energy self-sufficient. We have done some research, so solar panels, a heat storage system, and a wind turbine will be needed. Of course, we also want to save on high-quality products or find a good deal. We are from Bavaria, so maybe someone knows a contact..
Best regards
Franz
PS: I’m always open to tips and advice regarding energy self-sufficiency!
my son is already building a house and wants to contribute to the energy transition. More specifically, he aims to live (relatively) energy self-sufficient. We have done some research, so solar panels, a heat storage system, and a wind turbine will be needed. Of course, we also want to save on high-quality products or find a good deal. We are from Bavaria, so maybe someone knows a contact..
Best regards
Franz
PS: I’m always open to tips and advice regarding energy self-sufficiency!
Hello Thorsten,
Unfortunately, we are still in the planning phase, so I cannot provide you with data such as heat loss yet. However, the whole setup is based on the new build of my best friend’s house, which has been running its system successfully for over four years now.
As you already mentioned, 7 kWp is probably sufficient. For me, the upper limit has always been 10 kWp because above that, the renewable energy surcharge for self-consumption applies. The garage roof is large enough to accommodate 10 kWp of photovoltaic panels, so we will go ahead with that. Whether we actually need that much will become clear over time. In this regard, it’s like with heating in general—there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and things usually turn out differently than initial calculations suggest. Fortunately, we can rely on our gut feeling for many decisions, and it tells us to "fill the roof."
The issue of storage is a whole science on its own. We basically need a large storage tank (around 4000 liters (1057 gallons) calculated) because we heat with a log wood gasifier. Due to the problem of heat loss, I didn’t want two separate storage tanks. Currently, we are planning with a 5000-liter (1321 gallons) tank. The overall height of the tank is 3.1 m (10.2 ft). We plan to build it accordingly. It will certainly be an “expensive” solution, but as I said, it’s a gut feeling. The exact size of the solar system is not finalized yet because we are still struggling with the zoning plan and the roof shape. I expect around 30–35 m² (323–377 sq ft), and I’m currently leaning towards vacuum tube collectors. Given the storage size, the solar system could also be dimensioned significantly larger.
Regarding heat losses, I assume that the heated storage tank will supply us with heat and domestic hot water for about four days. This value is important to me. Since I heat with log wood and need to reload manually, every additional day is a gain in comfort. Economically, everyone advises me to have a smaller heater and reload daily. These tanks are usually insulated with 10 mm (0.4 inch) soft foam insulation, but I’m still considering something else. I find that insufficient.
Unfortunately, we are still in the planning phase, so I cannot provide you with data such as heat loss yet. However, the whole setup is based on the new build of my best friend’s house, which has been running its system successfully for over four years now.
As you already mentioned, 7 kWp is probably sufficient. For me, the upper limit has always been 10 kWp because above that, the renewable energy surcharge for self-consumption applies. The garage roof is large enough to accommodate 10 kWp of photovoltaic panels, so we will go ahead with that. Whether we actually need that much will become clear over time. In this regard, it’s like with heating in general—there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and things usually turn out differently than initial calculations suggest. Fortunately, we can rely on our gut feeling for many decisions, and it tells us to "fill the roof."
The issue of storage is a whole science on its own. We basically need a large storage tank (around 4000 liters (1057 gallons) calculated) because we heat with a log wood gasifier. Due to the problem of heat loss, I didn’t want two separate storage tanks. Currently, we are planning with a 5000-liter (1321 gallons) tank. The overall height of the tank is 3.1 m (10.2 ft). We plan to build it accordingly. It will certainly be an “expensive” solution, but as I said, it’s a gut feeling. The exact size of the solar system is not finalized yet because we are still struggling with the zoning plan and the roof shape. I expect around 30–35 m² (323–377 sq ft), and I’m currently leaning towards vacuum tube collectors. Given the storage size, the solar system could also be dimensioned significantly larger.
Regarding heat losses, I assume that the heated storage tank will supply us with heat and domestic hot water for about four days. This value is important to me. Since I heat with log wood and need to reload manually, every additional day is a gain in comfort. Economically, everyone advises me to have a smaller heater and reload daily. These tanks are usually insulated with 10 mm (0.4 inch) soft foam insulation, but I’m still considering something else. I find that insufficient.
PhiTh schrieb:
Unfortunately, we are still in the planning stage, so I cannot provide data such as heat loss yet. However, the project is based on the new build of my best friend, whose system has been running successfully for over 4 years now.Hi,
thank you for the very detailed response. I really appreciate it.
This is very interesting; it looks like it will be a very exciting project, also from a technical point of view.
Keep planning well and, above all, good luck with the implementation.
Please feel free to share updates on your progress.
Best regards,
Thorsten
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