ᐅ Passive house, combined heating system with solar thermal, energy recovery, photovoltaic panels?

So, I plan to have a house built for my family in the near future.

I have decided on a passive house because I want to minimize environmental impact and keep running costs low.

Now I am wondering which heating combinations I should use.

A ventilation system with heat recovery is a must...

Solar energy will be used for domestic hot water in combination with a large buffer tank.
I thought that heat recovery alone might not be enough to maintain the indoor temperature as I want it...

What additional heating options would you recommend?
Geothermal energy? Using solar also for heating? What are the possibilities?

Or is the ventilation with heat recovery sufficient?
I’ve heard that passive houses don’t need extra heating because heat recovery should be enough – is that true?

I’m also thinking about installing some photovoltaic panels on the roof to save even more energy for electrical appliances and the ventilation system’s motors, etc.

What do the experts suggest as a good combination that won’t cause problems, e.g., not keeping the house warm enough?

Many thanks for your help.

PS: Hello to everyone, I’m new here 😀

Hello Bunnyguard,

what budget do you have planned for your house construction?

jap

Overall, I wouldn’t want the total cost without the land to exceed 300,000 euros.
I think that should be enough to realize our dream.
My parents have a few plots of land, so that doesn’t weigh heavily on the budget anymore.

Hello Bunnyguard,

First of all, congratulations on deciding to build a Passive House. The budget is generally sufficient for the living area, depending on your requirements. However, keep in mind that the construction of a Passive House should only be planned by a properly qualified architect and, very importantly, the construction should be continuously supervised without gaps.

Regarding the question of additional heating:
Depending on the type, the ventilation system includes an electric heating coil. This is sufficient to heat the living area even during prolonged freezing temperatures. Due to the low energy demand of a Passive House, the electricity costs remain moderate. An elegant solution is the installation of a controllable pellet stove, which I use together with the buffer tank to generate the necessary additional energy for hot water production.

Best regards,
Timo Bertrams

Hmm.
Well, my father is a site manager, but apart from that, I still wanted to involve an independent expert to objectively assess the property.

Regarding the heating, is it not possible to heat using a geothermal probe or through the buffer tank supplied by solar energy?
I wanted to avoid a conventional stove, and the solution with electric heating through the mechanical ventilation system is probably the simplest, cheapest, and cleanest option with no additional space required, etc.

But the word "electricity" (for heating) really doesn’t sit well with me.
Isn’t it also possible to draw some heat from the buffer tank, which is supplied by solar energy for hot water preparation, to supplement heating?
I think constant additional heating isn’t necessary, even when it’s very cold. Once it’s heated, the warmth should last quite a while without needing to keep heating for days.

PS: The only thing I could maybe imagine is heating with a fireplace if that’s possible – my wife really likes that idea 😀
But whether that’s technically feasible, I have no idea, so that’s why I’m here…
Do you need anything special for the fireplace, or is it enough if it just heats the air and the warm air is distributed through the mechanical ventilation system? So many questions…

Don’t get me wrong, but simply consulting a professional is not enough when planning a passive house. Designing a house without a heating system requires a specialist.
Of course, it is possible to store summer heat over long-term thermal storage systems to use it during winter. However, the question is whether the effort and the results still justify a reasonable cost-performance ratio. The same applies to ground probes and heat pumps (which also consume a significant amount of electricity). The electricity needed for the heating element can be covered by solar panels.
An open fireplace is obviously not an option since a passive house must be airtight. However, a pellet stove can be installed in the living room because it draws its combustion air from the flue.