ᐅ Single-family house, 140 m², KfW Efficiency House 55 achievable through insulation and air-to-water heat pump?
Created on: 18 May 2021 13:00
S
SamSamSam
Hello,
we have entrusted a general contractor with our construction project who will build our home to the KfW 55 standard.
He plans to achieve this by installing an air-to-water heat pump and insulation.
According to him, there is no need for solar collectors or anything similar on the roof.
Is it really that "simple" to build to the KfW 55 standard?
we have entrusted a general contractor with our construction project who will build our home to the KfW 55 standard.
He plans to achieve this by installing an air-to-water heat pump and insulation.
According to him, there is no need for solar collectors or anything similar on the roof.
Is it really that "simple" to build to the KfW 55 standard?
P
pagoni202019 May 2021 11:53For the reasons mentioned above, I said that you first need to identify your individual needs. KFW standards can be met through various measures, which may or may not make sense for your living situation there.
The "problem" is that with a general installer (GI), you have little or no influence over the execution. Therefore, you should definitely clarify this with the main contractor (GU) beforehand, because otherwise, you might end up with what the heating engineer prefers, which may not match your expectations at all. Afterwards, you could spend a lot of time trying to adjust things at the control panel if, for example, the spacing or general installation of the underfloor heating is poor; this is what I’m currently experiencing.
I think you should read a lot here to first find out what type of person you are 😀 😀 — which kind of living style suits you best. Everyone has different preferences, and you can find plenty of information to help you decide. Heating is just one part of living comfortably. The best approach is to share your entire project here, and from the following discussions, you will gain more clarity and confidence.
I would definitely recommend signing contracts only after sufficient planning time. Changes afterwards tend to be expensive or often no longer possible; unnecessary rush or stress usually affects the outcome negatively.
Therefore, it also makes sense to find a suitable energy consultant who understands your project and desires; it’s worth paying more for that expertise. It’s similar to an architect, whose skilled planning can often pay off by itself.
The "problem" is that with a general installer (GI), you have little or no influence over the execution. Therefore, you should definitely clarify this with the main contractor (GU) beforehand, because otherwise, you might end up with what the heating engineer prefers, which may not match your expectations at all. Afterwards, you could spend a lot of time trying to adjust things at the control panel if, for example, the spacing or general installation of the underfloor heating is poor; this is what I’m currently experiencing.
I think you should read a lot here to first find out what type of person you are 😀 😀 — which kind of living style suits you best. Everyone has different preferences, and you can find plenty of information to help you decide. Heating is just one part of living comfortably. The best approach is to share your entire project here, and from the following discussions, you will gain more clarity and confidence.
I would definitely recommend signing contracts only after sufficient planning time. Changes afterwards tend to be expensive or often no longer possible; unnecessary rush or stress usually affects the outcome negatively.
Therefore, it also makes sense to find a suitable energy consultant who understands your project and desires; it’s worth paying more for that expertise. It’s similar to an architect, whose skilled planning can often pay off by itself.
S
SamSamSam19 May 2021 13:07We have relatively few wishes and ideas! We want a roof over our heads that is divided according to our needs and can be heated efficiently. No ventilation system, photovoltaic panels, air conditioning, etc., unless necessary. In my opinion, the simplest way to achieve the goal is also the best.
As long as the living spaces are around 21°C (70°F) and the bedrooms about 18°C (64°F), I’m pretty flexible about the rest. If this can be achieved relatively efficiently through optimal installation of underfloor heating, I’m all for it 😀
As long as the living spaces are around 21°C (70°F) and the bedrooms about 18°C (64°F), I’m pretty flexible about the rest. If this can be achieved relatively efficiently through optimal installation of underfloor heating, I’m all for it 😀
P
pagoni202019 May 2021 13:43Hmm... I understand this mindset and find it basically quite reasonable.
However, in my opinion, it makes a lot of sense to think about various aspects or to evaluate their pros and cons only after you have dealt with them.
It’s definitely not the case that if you worry less or not at all, your construction will automatically be cheaper. And if I can design the roof over my head according to my wishes, why not? After all, your house will cost a lot of money too. In fact, it can even be the other way around: you might reduce some costs if you have dealt with certain matters, because then you are sometimes able to say no when you are repeatedly told “you really should do/have this.”
Most heating costs are saved through your own behavior, and you should also like the type of heat generation and its effect. There is no universal model, but you can live anywhere. In that case, I would seriously just look for the cheapest option on the market; I mean that honestly, because you can select a house like that too.
Therefore, I’m a bit “surprised” that you basically have no specific demands but definitely want to build to KfW55 standard. For me, that requirement would come much later, judging by what I’ve read.
However, in my opinion, it makes a lot of sense to think about various aspects or to evaluate their pros and cons only after you have dealt with them.
It’s definitely not the case that if you worry less or not at all, your construction will automatically be cheaper. And if I can design the roof over my head according to my wishes, why not? After all, your house will cost a lot of money too. In fact, it can even be the other way around: you might reduce some costs if you have dealt with certain matters, because then you are sometimes able to say no when you are repeatedly told “you really should do/have this.”
SamSamSam schrieb:
As long as living rooms are around 21°C (70°F) and bedrooms about 18°C (64°F), the rest doesn’t really matter much to me. But if you can achieve this relatively efficiently by optimally installing underfloor heating, I’m on board.
Most heating costs are saved through your own behavior, and you should also like the type of heat generation and its effect. There is no universal model, but you can live anywhere. In that case, I would seriously just look for the cheapest option on the market; I mean that honestly, because you can select a house like that too.
Therefore, I’m a bit “surprised” that you basically have no specific demands but definitely want to build to KfW55 standard. For me, that requirement would come much later, judging by what I’ve read.
S
SamSamSam19 May 2021 15:17pagoni2020 schrieb:
So I’m a bit "surprised" that you have virtually no requirements but still want to build a KfW55-standard house 🤨 We didn’t really care whether it would be an energy-efficient house or not. Since the general contractor (GC) usually builds to KfW55 standard by default, we just accepted it. Not meeting the KfW55 standard would have saved less money than the KfW subsidy would cover.
I have been educating myself on these topics, which is why I contribute various posts in this forum. If something seems unclear to me, I turn to the experts here. 🙂 In the end, you have to trust the GC to some extent; otherwise, I wouldn’t have hired one and would have contracted the trades myself.
Similar topics