ᐅ Ground Source Heat Pump vs. Air Source Heat Pump

Created on: 3 May 2015 20:20
J
JohnnyUtah83
Hello forum members,

My girlfriend and I are currently planning our house construction. Last week we received the final plan from our builder. Now it’s about the heating system.
We don’t have a heating load calculation yet, but I wanted to start looking into the heating topic because it’s very important to me.
You will quickly realize that I am quite a beginner when it comes to heating technology, so I am turning to you here. Please be a bit patient if I bring up the topic for the 1000th time or seem clueless.

Now to the basic data for our house:
- approximately 200 sqm (2150 sq ft) living area
- 900 sqm (9700 sq ft) plot of land
- no basement (a boiler room is planned)
- the goal is to achieve KfW Efficiency House 70 standard
- a tiled stove will be installed (for cozy/visual/personal reasons and also possibly for additional heating)

As I said, we don’t have a heating load calculation yet.
Our builder recommends an air-to-water heat pump with an integrated ventilation system from Stiebel Eltron.
Honestly, I find an integrated ventilation system quite appealing since we both work and can hardly ventilate during the day. I know we’re not building a passive house, but I think a ventilation system is still not a bad idea.

Does anyone have experience with such dual systems?
Are there integrated ventilation systems that can also humidify and dehumidify?
I’m thinking that if the ventilation system can’t do this, it might cause problems for the respiratory system, etc. In the end, we might have issues due to a lack of humidification and be stuck in a bad situation.
Would placing a small decorative fountain inside the house help in such a case?

We have already decided to go for a heat pump. Originally, we wanted a ground-source heat pump with horizontal collectors (the plot size should be sufficient). Through our builder, I have also looked a bit into air-source heat pumps.
He said we would need a heat pump with a heating capacity of 8-9 kW.
That seems a bit too much to me. Wouldn’t 6-7 kW be sufficient?

I am now totally torn between air-source and ground-source heat pumps...
It’s clear that ground-source is considerably more expensive upfront. At Stiebel Eltron, the ground-source heat pump for heating and domestic hot water including ventilation costs roughly €8,000, similar to the air-source heat pump. However, ground-source is more powerful and cheaper to run in terms of electricity. Although the increasingly mild winters also have a positive effect on the electricity consumption of the air-to-water heat pump.
Both should fit into our budget, but will either be cost-effective?
Would it possibly make sense to separate domestic hot water heating from the main system and instead install two collectors on the roof?

What were your reasons for choosing air-source or ground-source heat pumps?
Please help me with this decision, otherwise I might burn myself here.

Many thanks in advance
WildThing6 May 2015 09:37
We are getting an air-to-water heat pump from Weishaupt with 9 kW (I believe it’s called WWP L9 A).
I’m not exactly sure about the price, but I think it’s around 12,000 euros (including the storage tank and the accessories for the heating system).

Our heated living area is 180 sqm (about 1,940 sq ft) in the house. (The entrance hallway and the study in the basement are also heated.) However, it doesn’t only depend on the size but also on your heating load. For example, how well insulated the walls and windows are and how much energy is “lost.”
S
Saruss
6 May 2015 22:55
It is also true that the better the insulation, the less important an efficient heating system becomes. Generally, geothermal systems are somewhat more expensive to install (depending on the source, such as drilling, collector, etc.) but are cheaper to operate. For a purely financial and reasonably realistic comparison, you need all construction data and some lifestyle habits related to temperature, such as daily bathtub use, the building site's climate zone, and so on. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Finally, ideological factors come into play—for example, whether you want to place a large heat exchanger in the front yard, next to the terrace, or elsewhere.
MissFilou7 May 2015 06:07
Since we are building turnkey with a general contractor, I unfortunately don’t have individual prices on hand.

A colleague has ground collectors and complains every spring that the snow stays on his system for so long while his neighbors are already enjoying spring blooms.

If the street is on the south side, the outdoor installation can fortunately be placed at the back of the house, hidden from view.
M.Mustermann7 May 2015 10:39
I am now facing a decision (must be made by Monday): air-to-water heat pump or ground-source heat pump with an earth collector.
The facts are as follows: a €4000 (with subsidies included) additional cost for a ground-source heat pump instead of an air-to-water heat pump, both from Nibe.

According to the seasonal performance factor calculator, the air-to-water heat pump should have a value of 4.17 SPF / the ground-source heat pump 5.05 SPF.
8 kW are required, the construction project is in the Hessen region, Rhine-Main area, Wetterau.
The fan noise of the air-to-water heat pump is really tolerable—I was able to listen to it—but of course, it would be nice to have no noise at all.
I am estimating an annual saving of about €200-250 with the ground-source heat pump compared to the air-to-water heat pump. Does that seem realistic?

In your opinion, is the investment worth it?
What do you think about Nibe?
S
Saruss
7 May 2015 11:06
The savings depend, as mentioned, on more than 10 factors. How are we supposed to say anything without information? Even for the COP, the temperature difference it applies to is missing. For example, my ground source heat pump shows a COP of 4.98 at B0/35, but my brine temperature stayed above 6°C (43°F) throughout the winter, and the underfloor heating was below 30°C (86°F), so the annual performance factor exceeds 6. However, with an air-to-water heat pump, when you need output, the intake air temperature can easily be below 0°C (32°F).
M.Mustermann7 May 2015 17:20
OK.
Then please be so kind and tell me the most important factors needed to answer my question.
I will provide these afterwards, thank you.