ᐅ New Single-Family Home Construction – Gas or Air Source Heat Pump + Photovoltaic System + Energy Storage?

Bookstar schrieb:

purely personal opinion

This captures the essence very well. 😉

You know, I don’t claim to have all the answers. I have just invested a lot of time and research into this topic, and others are welcome to benefit from it. It’s just an offer, and that’s how I understand forums 🙂

Bookstar schrieb:

You know, I don’t claim to have swallowed all the wisdom out there. I’ve just spent a lot of time and research on this topic, and others are welcome to benefit from it. It’s just an offer, and that’s how I understand forums 🙂

Your posts are almost always helpful. It’s just that when it comes to heat pumps, you’ve had a bad experience and can’t really come to terms with them. You almost always speak negatively about heat pumps.
With nearly one million heat pumps installed in Germany, there are inevitably some outliers that were poorly planned, installed, or simply faulty from the start.
But overall, it is a mature technology that has been in use for 100 years — the same principle as refrigerators, heat pump dryers, and air conditioners (which can also be used for heating). They are even installed as heaters in cars.

It’s really unfortunate for you that you had to invest so much time just to get yours working somewhat properly. But there are hundreds of thousands of satisfied heat pump owners with well-installed systems.

Side note: My previous house (built in 2001, purchased in 2004) was equipped with a gas boiler. In the first 18 months, it was repaired numerous times. The previous owner had damaged it (also due to lack of maintenance) over about three years to such an extent that a four-figure sum was needed to get it running properly again. Not to mention the yearly maintenance and the associated costs.

If using gas, design the underfloor heating system for a low flow temperature from the start so that switching to a heat pump later will be relatively straightforward.

So, I’ve scheduled an appointment with an energy consultant, although unfortunately it’s not until May 10th. But it’s not urgent yet.

In our initial phone call, he mentioned that the cost difference between a gas boiler and a combination of photovoltaic panels plus a heat pump isn’t that significant.

I have reconsidered my priorities...
1.) Above all, it needs to integrate seamlessly into daily life. I don’t want anything that requires tinkering or constant adjustments. It should be a fundamental element, as simple as flipping a light switch.
2.) Currently, I’m paying €110 (approx. $120) for gas and €150 (approx. $165) for electricity in a 100m² (1,076 sq ft) uninsulated older apartment, with about €50 (approx. $55) of that being commercial electricity. This has to change!
3.) Of course, I want to be ecological and sustainable, but not at any cost.
4.) It must be affordable and fit within my budget; it’s no use if I have to pay extra later for heating.

Oh, and the consultant said his fees would be around €4,500 (approx. $5,000), with half of that reimbursed through the KfW subsidy—is that reasonable?

Best regards,
Flo

nullhorn schrieb:

I’ve been thinking again about my priorities...
1.) Above all, seamless integration into everyday life is crucial. I don’t want anything that requires tweaking or readjusting. It has to be a fundamental building block, like flipping a light switch.
2.) Currently, I pay 110€ for gas and 150€ for electricity in a 100m² (1,076 sqft) old apartment without insulation (50€ of that is commercial electricity). This needs to stop!
3.) Of course, I also want to be ecological and sustainable – but not at any cost.
4.) It must be affordable and fit within my budget; it’s no use if I have to pay additional money for heating later on.
Oh, and the consultant said his services cost 4,500€ altogether, with half of that reimbursed through KfW – is that reasonable?

That already sounds good if you really focus on your personal priorities and approach things with an open mind. Heating is the same for me; it just has to work. That’s how I approach cars, too: functionality is my number one priority, though I can be more playful in other areas.
The price of the energy consultant is one thing, but the more important factor is whether their service is right for you. Ours actually cost 1,000€ more, but I would do it again. Beforehand, I made lots of calls and did research, but mostly I got answers that were not very nuanced or seemed locked into one system; that’s not what I was looking for.