ᐅ New Construction with Heat Pump – Experiences?

gabriel7643 schrieb:

We finally had a heat pump installed this April. The main reason was our quite old gas heating system with monthly rising prices, and maybe a bit influenced by our environmentally conscious daughter. We explored quite broadly, first consulting with the heating contractor and later just researching online. It was clear to us that we didn’t want expensive drilling for ground probes, so we chose an air-to-water heat pump to place in the garden.

Our house dates back to the 1970s (no major renovations since) and you often hear about problems with heat pumps when they have to heat an old house with radiators. Accordingly, we only considered top-tier units with very high SCOP at 55°C (131°F) – this is a measure of the device’s efficiency.

In the end, we decided on a NovaAir 4-16, which can deliver about four times as much heat as the electricity it consumes, even at high temperatures. And this thing really delivers!
a) Availability of heat pumps at the moment is a big bottleneck, but the unit was installed in the garden just under three months after confirming the order. It wasn’t really necessary to have it in the middle of summer, but that allowed us to test the software right away (yes, the NovaAir also comes with software to control heating and cooling, and it’s actually quite user-friendly). We happily used it to cool the house a bit over the summer. The company staff also provided a thorough introduction, which helped us schedule operating times around our work hours. The service was really excellent, and if something isn’t working, they can apparently even monitor and fix the unit remotely.
b) The radiators are absolutely no problem at all. Even on days below freezing, the indoor temperature remained constant, and the unit wasn’t even operating at full capacity. Energy efficiency is great – we expect to save a four-figure amount in heating costs this year, even though electricity prices are higher than before. And the NovaAir fits well in the garden, makes hardly any noise, and so far it’s the most aesthetically pleasing heat pump we’ve found.
c) Two people from the manufacturer came by, quickly commissioned and programmed the unit in one day. The heating output ramps up shortly before we or our daughter arrive home from work or school. Even vacations are pre-programmed – and we can now easily adjust settings ourselves for the new school year.

The house has always been comfortably warm, the only exception being summer, when it’s pleasantly cool thanks to the heat pump’s cooling function. Even with a large, old house like ours (250m2 (2691 sqft), built in 1974).

The people from Regli Energy (the manufacturer) were very transparent during the ordering process, helped coordinate the work, and always took time to answer questions.
d) The NovaAir is clearly a quality product—you can tell by the casing. The aluminum shell is primarily functional: robust yet still permeable to air. For us, it’s also simply nice to look at.

Although the company is based in Switzerland and the production takes place in Germany, the price is quite comparable to other major manufacturers who produce in China. By the way, we even spoke once on the phone with Regli’s founder and namesake, who explained the company’s vision, which we found very personable.

Most importantly, the heat pump reliably heats day and night and switches on by itself as soon as it gets cold outside. And heating costs are still significantly lower than with our old gas heating.

Next year, a photovoltaic system is planned so that the electricity for the heat pump will be even greener, saving costs, and the integration should work well. The Regli Energy staff assured us of this.

So, warmest recommendation for this heat pump.