Is it practical to heat a single-family house (approx. 140 m² (1,500 sq ft)) with KfW55 insulation standard and triple glazing solely using a ventilation heating system? What are the differences between the prefab house manufacturers Weberhaus (Proxon), Proxon sales (Zimmermann ventilation), and Schwörerhaus (heat recovery 134 BPHK)? Which system is better, and why?
Would a geothermal heat exchanger be useful for both systems?
Do both systems require an additional heat pump for domestic hot water?
In which rooms would additional electric heaters be necessary?
Would a geothermal heat exchanger be useful for both systems?
Do both systems require an additional heat pump for domestic hot water?
In which rooms would additional electric heaters be necessary?
I only know the Schwörerhaus system.
My personal conclusion: The ventilation system is great. The heating with PTC is conditionally recommendable. I definitely do not want to do without the wood-burning stove.
- A ground heat exchanger was not worthwhile in our case.
- We have a domestic hot water pump.
- In all rooms, electric heaters or PTC heaters are needed if you choose only the ventilation heating.
My personal conclusion: The ventilation system is great. The heating with PTC is conditionally recommendable. I definitely do not want to do without the wood-burning stove.
- A ground heat exchanger was not worthwhile in our case.
- We have a domestic hot water pump.
- In all rooms, electric heaters or PTC heaters are needed if you choose only the ventilation heating.
I’ll also add my climate zone: Upper Bavaria, 650m (2,130 ft) above sea level, generally cold in winter but sometimes sunny. Last January, temperatures dropped to minus 15°C (5°F) at the lowest point, which was manageable with the geothermal heat exchanger without electric backup heating, but with support from the fireplace.
2000 kWh for the house size, Cascada, is obviously fantastic—does that include the energy consumption of a ventilation system? In any case, very enviable.
A brine heat pump wouldn’t have been possible for us (the plot was too small for a horizontal ground collector, and deep drilling for ground water at 80-100m (260-330 ft) was too uncertain and expensive). Otherwise, that would have been my favorite option. There was no gas supply to the plot, and the tariff model for the available district heating is simply ridiculous for low-energy houses here.
Since the exhaust air heat pump is significantly cheaper than a brine heat pump, I invested the saved money into a 7 kWp photovoltaic system, which allows the house to produce more energy than it consumes overall. After offsetting the feed-in tariff, energy costs are close to zero (including household electricity).
In hindsight, for me, the all-important criterion is personal thermal comfort. Anyone who likes to have every room at 24°C (75°F) with radiant warmth in winter should use hydronic heating. PTC heaters might also achieve this electrically with air, but that would be crazy: dry air, dust circulation, and high heating costs. Personally, we’re comfortable with 20-21°C (68-70°F) in the rooms during winter plus a cozy fireplace in the living area. I like feeling the seasons a bit. But this is a matter of preference—don’t underestimate the difference. Jumping out of bed in the morning onto a warm floor into a 25°C (77°F) bathroom is simply not what we have. Instead, it’s 20°C (68°F), chilly tile floors, followed by a hot shower that warms the bathroom and the person. That’s the difference, and I like it. For bathing, we use an IR panel for warmth (radiant heat, more comfortable than fan heater warmth), which has a negligible energy impact. But for daily continuous use, an 800-watt electric heater in the bathroom makes no sense. I also think that this might negatively impact the house’s resale value.
2000 kWh for the house size, Cascada, is obviously fantastic—does that include the energy consumption of a ventilation system? In any case, very enviable.
A brine heat pump wouldn’t have been possible for us (the plot was too small for a horizontal ground collector, and deep drilling for ground water at 80-100m (260-330 ft) was too uncertain and expensive). Otherwise, that would have been my favorite option. There was no gas supply to the plot, and the tariff model for the available district heating is simply ridiculous for low-energy houses here.
Since the exhaust air heat pump is significantly cheaper than a brine heat pump, I invested the saved money into a 7 kWp photovoltaic system, which allows the house to produce more energy than it consumes overall. After offsetting the feed-in tariff, energy costs are close to zero (including household electricity).
In hindsight, for me, the all-important criterion is personal thermal comfort. Anyone who likes to have every room at 24°C (75°F) with radiant warmth in winter should use hydronic heating. PTC heaters might also achieve this electrically with air, but that would be crazy: dry air, dust circulation, and high heating costs. Personally, we’re comfortable with 20-21°C (68-70°F) in the rooms during winter plus a cozy fireplace in the living area. I like feeling the seasons a bit. But this is a matter of preference—don’t underestimate the difference. Jumping out of bed in the morning onto a warm floor into a 25°C (77°F) bathroom is simply not what we have. Instead, it’s 20°C (68°F), chilly tile floors, followed by a hot shower that warms the bathroom and the person. That’s the difference, and I like it. For bathing, we use an IR panel for warmth (radiant heat, more comfortable than fan heater warmth), which has a negligible energy impact. But for daily continuous use, an 800-watt electric heater in the bathroom makes no sense. I also think that this might negatively impact the house’s resale value.
Oh, and while it just came to mind, completely off-topic: I once worked in the US for a few months, in the East, with a climate similar to Germany’s, a nice spring, let’s say 20°C (68°F) outside temperature. The building had floor-to-ceiling glazing without any shading or thermal insulation. There was a powerful air conditioning system running to counteract solar heat gain, cooling the building down to a maintained 18°C (64°F), which most employees found much too cold. As a result, they individually placed 2 kW space heaters in their open-top cubicles, which often ran 24/7.
Fresh air heating, but a different kind...
Fresh air heating, but a different kind...
@Melvilli
Yes, the electricity for the controlled residential ventilation/heat recovery system is an additional expense – however, the unit is connected to the regular household power supply. We only consume just over 2000 kWh per year, thanks to new household appliances rated A with at least one plus and energy-saving lamps or LEDs almost everywhere (except the guest toilet). The controlled residential ventilation uses only 10 watts on the low setting (according to the datasheet).
Yes, the Americans
I’ve experienced the same during previous stays in the USA. I totally believe you. I’m thinking of the cars left running in front of supermarkets so stressed housewives can immediately sit in their air-conditioned vehicle after a 30-minute shopping trip...!
Yes, the electricity for the controlled residential ventilation/heat recovery system is an additional expense – however, the unit is connected to the regular household power supply. We only consume just over 2000 kWh per year, thanks to new household appliances rated A with at least one plus and energy-saving lamps or LEDs almost everywhere (except the guest toilet). The controlled residential ventilation uses only 10 watts on the low setting (according to the datasheet).
Yes, the Americans
I’ve experienced the same during previous stays in the USA. I totally believe you. I’m thinking of the cars left running in front of supermarkets so stressed housewives can immediately sit in their air-conditioned vehicle after a 30-minute shopping trip...!
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