ᐅ Requesting Feedback on Heat Pump / Quotation!

neubau2019 schrieb:

What do you think about passive cooling? Is it practical or just a gimmick?

A practical gimmick. Good shading is more important, don’t forget.

boxandroof schrieb:

Good shading is more important, don't forget that.

That's true, so we're installing roller shutters throughout the whole house... For the ground floor and the patio doors, I'm still considering whether to use blinds with adjustable slats (known as venetian blinds or louvered blinds), depending on how much extra they will cost. We'll see.

neubau2019 schrieb:

I have some concerns about condensation...

Just make sure that the supply temperature during cooling does not fall below the dew point temperature; this will prevent any condensation issues. You can monitor this, for example, using a dew point sensor installed directly on the supply heating pipe. Otherwise, you might also consider concrete core activation. This way, the floor won’t get too cold during the cooling phases in summer, making it more comfortable for your feet, and you gain a larger surface area for cooling. In winter, the concrete core activation can also provide heating, which is said to improve the overall thermal comfort within the room.

neubau2019 schrieb:

For the ground floor and the patio doors, I'm still considering whether to install external venetian blinds; we'll see how much extra they cost.

I can't imagine having roller blinds in our living room and offices anymore, as it would always be dark in the summer. We also use them for privacy from the inside. I wouldn’t base the decision mainly on the price, but rather on how often you will need shading on the lower level. It depends on the floor plan, natural shading, window size, and personal habits.

Since the cooling function of the heat pump was mentioned here:
how satisfied are you with your air-to-water heat pump?

Our general contractor offered us a "Viessmann Vitocal 200-S." The additional costs for a split heat pump with cooling function / dew point monitor / room thermostats with cooling function would be €2,500 (about $2,500) compared to the Viessmann Vitocal 200.
Since we are currently trying to keep costs down, I wonder whether an air-to-water heat pump with cooling function:
- is a worthwhile investment?
- can be retrofitted later (or whether the heating system needs to be designed that way from the start)?
- usually comes with an extra cost of around €2,500?

@fragg what kind of air-to-water heat pump do you have?

If the house tends to overheat for any reason and you rely on cooling, then cooling via a heat pump is not the right solution. In that case, I would invest in effective shading, heat insulation, or a vacation. If you really need it very cool, you won’t get around a proper air conditioning system.

The cooling function of a heat pump is more of a gimmick. We had no extra costs (no dew point sensor or ERR) and use the cooling function maybe 10 days a year to lower the temperature by 1-2 degrees or to keep it at a maximum of 25°C (77°F). Much more than that doesn’t make sense since, like a proper air conditioner, no moisture is removed. Thanks to the building design, thermal mass, shading, and controlled ventilation with heat recovery, our house stays relatively cool in summer and we could manage well without cooling.

In short: it wouldn’t be worth €2500 to me. Since you are looking to save costs, I wouldn’t invest in it. It can probably be retrofitted, but in that case, it would have been better to take other measures to prevent heat buildup.