ᐅ Prefab House: Affordable Heating System with a Tiled Stove? Ventilation Heating?
Created on: 6 Sep 2009 13:31
G
gorgesdHello energy experts,
We are planning to build a prefabricated house in Rhineland-Palatinate next year.
At the moment, we are leaning towards an ELK Magic 159. It largely complies with the requirements of our development plan and also meets the KfW40 standard.
However, we are still uncertain about the choice of heating system.
The standard option is a central hot water heating system with a gas condensing boiler. Since gas is not directly available for us (only supplied via a tank on the property), we are looking for alternatives:
- Pellet heating: The ELK consultant advised against pellets. Apparently, the price for pellets has tripled, making such a system economically unviable.
- Ventilation heating with cooling function and domestic hot water heat pump: This was promoted to us as particularly comfortable but is by far the most expensive option.
- Ground-source heat pump with borehole: This is not an option in our area due to very hard volcanic rock.
- Air-to-water heat pump system with underfloor heating: This was recommended as a more affordable alternative to the ventilation heating system.
Since we will be living in a rural area where firewood is relatively inexpensive, we definitely want to install a tiled stove/fireplace. Therefore, it might not make sense to invest in an expensive heating system in addition.
Our goal is to find an economical system for our house.
What are your opinions on this topic?
What would you recommend?
What experiences, positive or negative, have you had?
We are planning to build a prefabricated house in Rhineland-Palatinate next year.
At the moment, we are leaning towards an ELK Magic 159. It largely complies with the requirements of our development plan and also meets the KfW40 standard.
However, we are still uncertain about the choice of heating system.
The standard option is a central hot water heating system with a gas condensing boiler. Since gas is not directly available for us (only supplied via a tank on the property), we are looking for alternatives:
- Pellet heating: The ELK consultant advised against pellets. Apparently, the price for pellets has tripled, making such a system economically unviable.
- Ventilation heating with cooling function and domestic hot water heat pump: This was promoted to us as particularly comfortable but is by far the most expensive option.
- Ground-source heat pump with borehole: This is not an option in our area due to very hard volcanic rock.
- Air-to-water heat pump system with underfloor heating: This was recommended as a more affordable alternative to the ventilation heating system.
Since we will be living in a rural area where firewood is relatively inexpensive, we definitely want to install a tiled stove/fireplace. Therefore, it might not make sense to invest in an expensive heating system in addition.
Our goal is to find an economical system for our house.
What are your opinions on this topic?
What would you recommend?
What experiences, positive or negative, have you had?
6
6Richtige6 Sep 2009 18:33Hello gorgesd,
In my opinion, installing an air-to-water heat pump outside makes sense. Alternatively, geothermal energy with ground collectors could be an option if the property is large enough. When it comes to initial costs, a liquid gas tank is usually the most affordable; it can also be buried invisibly underground.
So, you need to compare the purchase costs with the ongoing operating expenses to find the most cost-effective solution for you.
A fireplace definitely makes sense—it’s cozy and helps reduce peak heating demand during harsh winters.
Offering KfW40 (now Energy Efficiency House 55) as a standard with a gas heating system sounds interesting to me. What is the U-value of the exterior wall, and what other technologies are included in the standard construction specification to achieve this value? You might want to ask to see an energy certificate that demonstrates this level is met with the claimed standard.
In my opinion, installing an air-to-water heat pump outside makes sense. Alternatively, geothermal energy with ground collectors could be an option if the property is large enough. When it comes to initial costs, a liquid gas tank is usually the most affordable; it can also be buried invisibly underground.
So, you need to compare the purchase costs with the ongoing operating expenses to find the most cost-effective solution for you.
A fireplace definitely makes sense—it’s cozy and helps reduce peak heating demand during harsh winters.
Offering KfW40 (now Energy Efficiency House 55) as a standard with a gas heating system sounds interesting to me. What is the U-value of the exterior wall, and what other technologies are included in the standard construction specification to achieve this value? You might want to ask to see an energy certificate that demonstrates this level is met with the claimed standard.
Just a thought...
Oil is easier to store, and there are condensing boilers available for it. Some systems can even be converted to biofuel simply by changing the nozzle.
Air-to-water heat pump systems can sometimes have issues at very low temperatures, effectively heating with electricity in those conditions. Well-dimensioned systems are certainly not cheap to install, and combining them with solar collectors on the roof is also an interesting option.
At the moment, there is another wave of scammers trying to sell people completely unsuitable heat exchanger systems at a "great" price. So, be careful!
Oil is easier to store, and there are condensing boilers available for it. Some systems can even be converted to biofuel simply by changing the nozzle.
Air-to-water heat pump systems can sometimes have issues at very low temperatures, effectively heating with electricity in those conditions. Well-dimensioned systems are certainly not cheap to install, and combining them with solar collectors on the roof is also an interesting option.
At the moment, there is another wave of scammers trying to sell people completely unsuitable heat exchanger systems at a "great" price. So, be careful!
Why choose a standard with high additional costs?
KfW40 has not been subsidized for a long time.
Why not use a ducted heat pump with an annual performance factor above 5.5?
There is also a BAFA subsidy available here.
The specifications in the performance description do not seem very balanced for the builder.
However, I don’t understand the performance description—what insulation and U-values do the components in the base price package have?
Are these all added costs?
KfW40 has not been subsidized for a long time.
Why not use a ducted heat pump with an annual performance factor above 5.5?
There is also a BAFA subsidy available here.
The specifications in the performance description do not seem very balanced for the builder.
However, I don’t understand the performance description—what insulation and U-values do the components in the base price package have?
Are these all added costs?
Similar topic as mine.
I would not recommend ventilation heating – have you ever considered cleaning the ducts?
If you use a fireplace, you might want to think about heat recovery from the exhaust gases. A heat exchanger in the chimney, but it should not be made of stone, plus a buffer tank, and then connected to the underfloor heating. Generally, I would recommend low-temperature systems; I believe this will be the standard in the future.
I would not recommend ventilation heating – have you ever considered cleaning the ducts?
If you use a fireplace, you might want to think about heat recovery from the exhaust gases. A heat exchanger in the chimney, but it should not be made of stone, plus a buffer tank, and then connected to the underfloor heating. Generally, I would recommend low-temperature systems; I believe this will be the standard in the future.
Similar topics