Hello everyone!
We are currently considering what and how we want to build. It’s about a new build that will be constructed by a developer. At the moment, a 36cm (14 inch) Ytong exterior wall is being offered. I would like to replace the standard heating system—a gas burner with radiators—with a heat pump and underfloor heating throughout the house, completely eliminating the need for a gas connection.
I don’t really want to use an air-source heat pump because I don’t want the noise or the unit in the garden, and I’m not thrilled about the decreasing efficiency during the cold season.
However, I have a few questions about the design and implementation. First, I have no idea how much more expensive ground source heat pumps are compared to air-source heat pumps. Do you have any rough estimates? I would prefer to use ground probes, meaning boreholes, since I consider that the most reliable method.
But what happens if there is damage to the system? A technician can simply open up and repair an air-source heat pump. However, no one would want to dig up the ground probes, right?
Also, how much space is needed for something like this? I was thinking the boreholes could be made in front of the house—that is, between the house and the sidewalk. There’s only about 3–5 meters (10–16 feet) of space there. If someone needs to access the pipes, you would have to remove the paving. I won’t be able to bring in heavy machinery to the garden later on.
To increase the efficiency of the system in the long run, I would also like to add photovoltaic panels later, but that would have to wait a few years due to cost and planning reasons.
Thank you for your help!
We are currently considering what and how we want to build. It’s about a new build that will be constructed by a developer. At the moment, a 36cm (14 inch) Ytong exterior wall is being offered. I would like to replace the standard heating system—a gas burner with radiators—with a heat pump and underfloor heating throughout the house, completely eliminating the need for a gas connection.
I don’t really want to use an air-source heat pump because I don’t want the noise or the unit in the garden, and I’m not thrilled about the decreasing efficiency during the cold season.
However, I have a few questions about the design and implementation. First, I have no idea how much more expensive ground source heat pumps are compared to air-source heat pumps. Do you have any rough estimates? I would prefer to use ground probes, meaning boreholes, since I consider that the most reliable method.
But what happens if there is damage to the system? A technician can simply open up and repair an air-source heat pump. However, no one would want to dig up the ground probes, right?
Also, how much space is needed for something like this? I was thinking the boreholes could be made in front of the house—that is, between the house and the sidewalk. There’s only about 3–5 meters (10–16 feet) of space there. If someone needs to access the pipes, you would have to remove the paving. I won’t be able to bring in heavy machinery to the garden later on.
To increase the efficiency of the system in the long run, I would also like to add photovoltaic panels later, but that would have to wait a few years due to cost and planning reasons.
Thank you for your help!
I can only say that we have two boreholes, each 70m (230 feet) deep, behind the house. There must be at least 6m (20 feet) distance between the boreholes, and drilling should not be done closer than 3m (10 feet) to the property boundary. For the complete heating and plumbing system, including the drilling, we paid 35,000. No idea what an air-source heat pump would have cost... It was never an option for us.
Oh, and the boreholes should be located near the house connections.
Oh, and the boreholes should be located near the house connections.
Are you crazy? If gas is available, it is usually by far the cheapest and most convenient energy source!
You can also use gas for underfloor heating, but why opt for an expensive heat pump (10,000 - 25,000€) when a condensing boiler for 3,000€ does the job just fine?
Okay, you have to consider the gas connection and possibly the chimney if you decide to omit it.
With an air-source heat pump, you will generally end up spending more on energy costs than with gas; with a ground-source heat pump, the costs are roughly the same. (Based on current energy prices—no one knows the future.)
A gas heating system is also much more forgiving when it comes to poorly executed or incorrectly calculated heating setups, and there are more installers experienced with gas systems.
You can also use gas for underfloor heating, but why opt for an expensive heat pump (10,000 - 25,000€) when a condensing boiler for 3,000€ does the job just fine?
Okay, you have to consider the gas connection and possibly the chimney if you decide to omit it.
With an air-source heat pump, you will generally end up spending more on energy costs than with gas; with a ground-source heat pump, the costs are roughly the same. (Based on current energy prices—no one knows the future.)
A gas heating system is also much more forgiving when it comes to poorly executed or incorrectly calculated heating setups, and there are more installers experienced with gas systems.
@Kisska86: Can you roughly explain what is included in the €35,000 (about $38,000)? To be honest, I find the amount somewhat discouraging. That would basically rule out geothermal energy for me.
@SirSydom: Well, I admit I’m not really an expert in this area (which is why I really value your opinions), but all the calculations I've seen so far indicate that heat pump technology saves energy compared to gas boilers. Since the efficiency of air source heat pumps drops at low temperatures—that is, exactly when I need them most—the only “real solution” for me would be to use geothermal energy, which should still be efficient in winter. How prices will develop in the future is all speculation, but I expect the cost of all fossil fuels to rise significantly. On one hand, this trend is already apparent and reserves are frequently discussed, and on the other hand, this is also a politically driven development.
@SirSydom: Well, I admit I’m not really an expert in this area (which is why I really value your opinions), but all the calculations I've seen so far indicate that heat pump technology saves energy compared to gas boilers. Since the efficiency of air source heat pumps drops at low temperatures—that is, exactly when I need them most—the only “real solution” for me would be to use geothermal energy, which should still be efficient in winter. How prices will develop in the future is all speculation, but I expect the cost of all fossil fuels to rise significantly. On one hand, this trend is already apparent and reserves are frequently discussed, and on the other hand, this is also a politically driven development.
I’ve just taken another close look at my detailed Excel sheet. Here’s a rough breakdown:
8,500 euros for the drilling
24,000 euros for plumbing; this includes everything — the underfloor heating for about 200 m² (2,150 sq ft), and all connections for hot water, cold water, and drainage in the kitchen, laundry room, and three bathrooms (3 toilets, bidet, 3 showers, 4 washbasins). I can also check the exact price for the heating system itself if needed.
8,500 euros for the drilling
24,000 euros for plumbing; this includes everything — the underfloor heating for about 200 m² (2,150 sq ft), and all connections for hot water, cold water, and drainage in the kitchen, laundry room, and three bathrooms (3 toilets, bidet, 3 showers, 4 washbasins). I can also check the exact price for the heating system itself if needed.
B
Bauexperte21 Jul 2015 21:55SirSydom schrieb:
With an air-source heat pump, you will generally spend more money on energy consumption than with gas, while with a ground-source heat pump it is about the same. What exactly do "more money" or "about the same" mean in numbers...?
Regards, Bauexperte
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