Hello dear community,
we have finally found a plot of land and are now in the planning phase for our house. We are still at the very beginning, so nothing has been signed yet. We are thinking of a size of about 160 sqm (1722 sq ft), probably a prefabricated house built to KfW 40+ or KfW 55 standard with a solar power system.
The plot is located in a new housing development (eco-settlement), a pilot project by the city of Kassel. Fossil fuels are not allowed for heating in this development, so gas and oil are ruled out, and installing a fireplace is also prohibited. For the heating system, we are considering an air-to-water heat pump or connecting to the local district heating network operated by the municipal utility of Kassel. An air-to-air heat pump is more or less off the table, as we have read many negative reports about it here on the forum.
We find it really difficult to make a decision, especially since we have no experience at all. The municipal utility provided an example calculation that seems quite high to us; without any prior experience, it’s hard to estimate or compare.
District heating example:
Single-family house KfW 55, approx. 150 sqm (1615 sq ft)
Heat consumption: 7000 kWh
Basic fee (approx.): €1700 per year
Usage fee (approx.): €1100 per year
From what I have researched here on the forum, costs for an air-to-air heat pump seem to be noticeably lower, although these figures vary considerably. The advantage of district heating, of course, is that the entire heating system is eliminated, leaving only a small unit in the utility room, so initial costs are very low.
What do you think about the offer from the municipal utility? The fact that you are very much tied to the monopoly and cannot just switch providers if prices go up worries us the most.
Thank you in advance for your answers.
we have finally found a plot of land and are now in the planning phase for our house. We are still at the very beginning, so nothing has been signed yet. We are thinking of a size of about 160 sqm (1722 sq ft), probably a prefabricated house built to KfW 40+ or KfW 55 standard with a solar power system.
The plot is located in a new housing development (eco-settlement), a pilot project by the city of Kassel. Fossil fuels are not allowed for heating in this development, so gas and oil are ruled out, and installing a fireplace is also prohibited. For the heating system, we are considering an air-to-water heat pump or connecting to the local district heating network operated by the municipal utility of Kassel. An air-to-air heat pump is more or less off the table, as we have read many negative reports about it here on the forum.
We find it really difficult to make a decision, especially since we have no experience at all. The municipal utility provided an example calculation that seems quite high to us; without any prior experience, it’s hard to estimate or compare.
District heating example:
Single-family house KfW 55, approx. 150 sqm (1615 sq ft)
Heat consumption: 7000 kWh
Basic fee (approx.): €1700 per year
Usage fee (approx.): €1100 per year
From what I have researched here on the forum, costs for an air-to-air heat pump seem to be noticeably lower, although these figures vary considerably. The advantage of district heating, of course, is that the entire heating system is eliminated, leaving only a small unit in the utility room, so initial costs are very low.
What do you think about the offer from the municipal utility? The fact that you are very much tied to the monopoly and cannot just switch providers if prices go up worries us the most.
Thank you in advance for your answers.
H
hampshire22 Jan 2020 23:24When making a rough visual estimate or approximation by using a thumb as a reference, and the thumb is thick, you tend to overlook inaccuracies more easily.
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boxandroof22 Jan 2020 23:40The thumb really has to be very thick for that. The advantage of district heating is definitely the peace of mind.
With a heat pump, a lot would have to go wrong for it to be financially break-even. I see it more like permanently co-financing a small car. If the house consumes slightly more energy than expected, the calculation diverges even further.
On top of that, heat pumps are eligible for subsidies, and currently, there are grants available even for replacements. This is probably not the case with district heating.
With a heat pump, a lot would have to go wrong for it to be financially break-even. I see it more like permanently co-financing a small car. If the house consumes slightly more energy than expected, the calculation diverges even further.
On top of that, heat pumps are eligible for subsidies, and currently, there are grants available even for replacements. This is probably not the case with district heating.
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TitusPullo23 Jan 2020 00:05boxandroof schrieb:
In addition, heat pumps are eligible for subsidies, and there are currently grants available even for replacements. This probably does not apply to district heating.This concerns local heating, but it is basically the same principle; subsidies would generally be possible.
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boxandroof23 Jan 2020 00:12With district heating, you avoid the one-time investment in the technology. Under certain conditions, this can be eligible for funding through BAFA.
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TitusPullo23 Jan 2020 00:18At a minimum, the website or flyer states:
For your connection to the local heating network, you can take advantage of attractive funding options from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau.
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boxandroof23 Jan 2020 00:30BAFA is another agency that provides additional support for heating technology, independent of KfW and the KfW standard. The conditions were changed in 2020; there is a thread about this somewhere.