ᐅ Is an air source heat pump sufficient for a harsh winter in the Black Forest?

Hello,

we are just starting the planning phase for a KfW55 prefabricated house, and our builder recommends an air-source heat pump for heating, specifically a "Stiebel Eltron LWZ 304 Trend."

The house will be built in two parts and will have approximately 140m² (1,507 sq ft) of living space. Additionally, we plan to install a pellet stove in the living-dining area on the first floor, which will be directly fed with pellets to provide an additional decentralized heat source.

My question is: Is such an air-source heat pump solution sufficient during cold winters in the Black Forest, when temperatures drop to around -25°C (-13°F)? What are your general experiences? Our builder praises the advantages of the air-source heat pump, but for me this is new territory, so some input would be very helpful.

There are a million opinions on this... I wouldn’t do it because I don’t want to heat with electricity, as there are cheaper energy sources available.

If the overall concept is right, it might work...

What about a brine heat pump? It is much less sensitive to outdoor temperatures. Depending on the supplier, it shouldn’t be significantly more expensive.

b54 schrieb:
What about a brine heat pump? It is much less sensitive to outdoor temperatures. Depending on the supplier, it shouldn’t be much more expensive.

Is there also a version with mechanical ventilation? Our supplier offers the "Viessmann Vitocal 222-G"—can it do that as well?

What does the heating load calculation tell us? That should already answer part of your question.
When it gets really cold in the Black Forest in winter, take a look at the performance data of the heat pump at subzero temperatures.
Personally, I would separate heating and ventilation anyway. If something becomes irreparable after 15 years, you might have to replace both.
And for the device: your friend Google can also help here.

We live in the northern Black Forest region and yes, we have an air-to-water heat pump with a hot water storage tank and underfloor heating because I did not want gas. Whether the costs are cheaper or not, others can probably calculate that for you. I can only say that over the past 3 months, we used 800 kWh for hot water and heating, of which 17 days were for a screed drying program. The electricity cost is based on a special rate of 0.20 cents per kWh.

@Cascada The heating and ventilation systems are theoretically separate; additionally, if the controlled residential ventilation system fails, an auxiliary heating element activates.