ᐅ Choosing a Heating System: What Makes Sense?

Created on: 5 Sep 2015 12:13
K
Kawafighter
Hello everyone,

We are currently planning our house and, like many others, are trying to decide on the right heating system.
The construction site is in Herrischried (880 m (2880 ft)) in the Hotzenwald area, so there is a lot of snow and it gets quite cold in winter.
I am considering an air-to-air heat pump supported by a solar or photovoltaic system with a battery storage (a controlled ventilation system will be installed), but is this a good solution?
Since we don’t want gas/liquefied petroleum gas (there is no gas supply even on the street), oil, or pellets, we need an efficient and economical alternative.
I am quite overwhelmed by all the information I have read and by what various building consultants say about what would be better. I’m not sure if they are just trying to sell me their products.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Best regards,
Michael
L
Legurit
7 Sep 2015 21:31
How high up do you live in the Hotzenwald? Wiki says it’s a foggy region with a lot of precipitation and low temperatures... I would avoid heat pumps (p!V) and groundwater heat pump systems (LLWP).
Depending on the ground conditions, deep drilling (rock) or ground collectors might work (but only if the soil doesn’t freeze too much).
Maybe you’re a case where pellet heating would really be a good option... ask around your neighborhood (even better, ask the local plumbing specialist) about the alternatives available and what their experiences have been.
L
Legurit
7 Sep 2015 22:47
I take back what I said about the p!v yield... I just checked out Solar Server out of curiosity – in Görwihl, they even calculate a relatively high yield...
K
Kawafighter
8 Sep 2015 12:19
Herrischried is located at 880 meters (2,890 feet) elevation, so solar panels are part of the standard equipment there :-). A 5 kWp system should be sufficient according to the grid to supply both household electricity and heating. That’s why I am considering self-sufficiency with electricity. However, the builder only offers 2.5 kWp systems in their program, which raised concerns for me about whether that would be enough if I were to heat the house electrically using a fan heater.
L
Legurit
8 Sep 2015 12:31
It shows 400 kWh for the entire month of January, which means about 12 kWh per day. But at the design temperature, you actually need around 5 kW times 24 hours — so 100 kWh — or am I missing something here?
S
Sebastian79
8 Sep 2015 12:52
Does your heating system avoid short cycling and heating kW ≠ electrical kW 😉
L
Legurit
8 Sep 2015 13:37
With an air-to-water heat pump at -5°C (23°F) already... 😉 but yes, you’re right. Similarly, of course, right. Still, I doubt that 5 kWp would even come close to being sufficient for self-sufficiency.