ᐅ Is it better to estimate using KfW55 standards or the Energy Saving Regulation?
Created on: 24 Nov 2020 08:07
H
HausNebauBW160
Hello,
we are planning a single-family house in southern Germany (Stuttgart area).
It is planned to have about 155m2 (1670 sq ft) of living space and be fully basemented, with the note that a basement room of approximately 50m2 (538 sq ft) should be heated.
Our question now is whether it is worth going through the bureaucratic and financial effort to obtain a KFW55 subsidy.
The basic specifications of the house according to the building description:
2 full floors with a hipped roof
Gas heating with solar thermal system for domestic hot water heating (unfortunately, I have no data regarding the area and output of the collectors)
Wall construction on ground floor and upper floor made of insulated bricks (U-value = 0.17 < 0.2 W/(m² K))
Basement insulation: 8cm (3 inches) Styrodur (extruded polystyrene)
Central ventilation system with 95% heat recovery
Windows currently have a Uw-value of 0.95 (>0.9 W/(m² K)), total window area about 57m2 (613 sq ft), total of 19 windows (excluding basement windows and one roof window)
Roof window (only an access hatch to get onto the roof) currently Uw = 1.2 (>1.0 W/(m² K))
Underfloor heating everywhere (except the heated basement room, which has two radiators)
What I find critical is that the general contractor (GC) is not very keen on building to KFW55 standards, as according to him it prolongs the construction time, involves more bureaucracy, and he would also be subject to external inspections.
We have to find an energy consultant ourselves. The ones contacted are not available until mid-January. Our offer from the GC is valid only until mid-December.
The elements to improve compared to current standards are: windows and roof window.
Probably the basement insulation and possibly the ceiling insulation to the attic (I could not find any information about this in the building description) also need improvement.
According to statements from other builders, the heated basement is also problematic – would it be possible, in order to meet the KFW subsidy requirements, to only install heating pipes in the basement floor now and keep the option open to add radiators later?
Now the question:
What would you do? Try to achieve KFW55 to get the subsidy of approximately €18,000 or build the house without it?
Thank you very much in advance for reading and for your opinions!
we are planning a single-family house in southern Germany (Stuttgart area).
It is planned to have about 155m2 (1670 sq ft) of living space and be fully basemented, with the note that a basement room of approximately 50m2 (538 sq ft) should be heated.
Our question now is whether it is worth going through the bureaucratic and financial effort to obtain a KFW55 subsidy.
The basic specifications of the house according to the building description:
2 full floors with a hipped roof
Gas heating with solar thermal system for domestic hot water heating (unfortunately, I have no data regarding the area and output of the collectors)
Wall construction on ground floor and upper floor made of insulated bricks (U-value = 0.17 < 0.2 W/(m² K))
Basement insulation: 8cm (3 inches) Styrodur (extruded polystyrene)
Central ventilation system with 95% heat recovery
Windows currently have a Uw-value of 0.95 (>0.9 W/(m² K)), total window area about 57m2 (613 sq ft), total of 19 windows (excluding basement windows and one roof window)
Roof window (only an access hatch to get onto the roof) currently Uw = 1.2 (>1.0 W/(m² K))
Underfloor heating everywhere (except the heated basement room, which has two radiators)
What I find critical is that the general contractor (GC) is not very keen on building to KFW55 standards, as according to him it prolongs the construction time, involves more bureaucracy, and he would also be subject to external inspections.
We have to find an energy consultant ourselves. The ones contacted are not available until mid-January. Our offer from the GC is valid only until mid-December.
The elements to improve compared to current standards are: windows and roof window.
Probably the basement insulation and possibly the ceiling insulation to the attic (I could not find any information about this in the building description) also need improvement.
According to statements from other builders, the heated basement is also problematic – would it be possible, in order to meet the KFW subsidy requirements, to only install heating pipes in the basement floor now and keep the option open to add radiators later?
Now the question:
What would you do? Try to achieve KFW55 to get the subsidy of approximately €18,000 or build the house without it?
Thank you very much in advance for reading and for your opinions!
S
Sparfuchs7725 Nov 2020 11:38Since we didn’t want a heat pump or controlled ventilation system anyway, we built according to the energy-saving regulations and executed the parts important to us with higher quality (better insulation and windows).
I think there isn’t just one right approach. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to their home. 🙂
I think there isn’t just one right approach. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to their home. 🙂
Sparfuchs_:p schrieb:
Since we didn’t want a heat pump or controlled residential ventilation anyway, we built according to the Energy Saving Ordinance and upgraded the parts that mattered to us with higher-quality materials (better insulation and windows).
I guess there isn’t one right approach. Everyone has their own expectations for their home 🙂However, if you can reach the KfW55 standard without a heat pump and controlled residential ventilation, with additional costs under 10,000 € (which should be achievable), then I currently don’t see the point of NOT building to KfW55.
That said, I’m not sure if this is even possible without a heat pump—it depends on what you have installed.
The only consideration would be the KfW loan interest rate and repayment schedule—but with a loan amount of 120,000 €, this isn’t very significant in either direction, so I think the repayment subsidy is much more important.
S
Sparfuchs7725 Nov 2020 13:55I have installed a gas boiler.
There is no such thing as "the perfect house," but in the end, every house is the right one for the individual homeowner.
exto1791 schrieb:That cannot be assumed. For some, the financing is calculated so tightly that it simply isn’t feasible.
those under €10,000 (should be achievable),
Mycraft schrieb:
There isn’t really a “perfect house,” but in the end, each house is the right one for the specific builder.
That’s not always true. For some, the financing is calculated so tightly that it simply isn’t feasible.Wow, that’s intense... Yes, if that’s really the case, then 10,000€ could definitely be too much.
Regardless of the roughly 50€ (about $55) higher repayment rate or financing amount, I consider it economically sensible to take advantage of the KfW loan.
We are currently planning a single-family house and originally did not want to build a KFW55 standard home. In my opinion, the potential savings from better insulation are negligible—maybe around €100-200 (approximately $110-220) per year.
In the end, however, we decided to go with KFW55 combined with a gas heating system and controlled ventilation, since we expect additional costs of up to €10,000 (about $11,000). We are happy to accept the €18,000 (roughly $20,000) subsidy, even though the KFW interest rate isn’t that great.
In the end, however, we decided to go with KFW55 combined with a gas heating system and controlled ventilation, since we expect additional costs of up to €10,000 (about $11,000). We are happy to accept the €18,000 (roughly $20,000) subsidy, even though the KFW interest rate isn’t that great.
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