ᐅ Which heating system should be used, and how can it be combined with photovoltaic or solar thermal panels?

Hello!

I have been researching heating options for the new build of our single-family house for weeks and still haven’t found a definitive opinion on the topic.

We are building a “standard” house, roughly equivalent to a KFW55 standard home, but without any subsidies or incentives—the hassle isn’t worth it. The house will be built on a sloped site, with the roof facing south. The local development plan expressly encourages photovoltaic / solar thermal systems (a separate roof covering is allowed).

A gas connection is already available on the plot. I originally didn’t want a gas heating system, but now I’m a bit uncertain. Both of my immediate neighbors in this new development area are using gas combined with solar thermal.

I was actually interested in geothermal heating. However, according to a local heating contractor, drilling is limited to 50 meters, so it’s not worth it here.

Then I looked into horizontal ground collectors such as trench or surface collectors. But that option is now off the table, because many say you can hardly plant anything on top of them (and we are really passionate gardeners).

So essentially, the options left are a) gas (though I’m not really a fan of fossil fuels), or — and this is currently my favorite — b) an air-source heat pump. The heating contractor I prefer locally installs the Wolf CHA Monoblock system, but I haven’t found many user reviews, it seems fairly new but also quite quiet.

Would you also choose an air-to-water heat pump in this situation?

Then comes the next question: how to combine it? With solar thermal or photovoltaic? Or even both? There are hundreds of forums and articles on this, and I’ve read a lot, but in the end, I’m only more confused because everyone says something different.

What do you think?

Regards,
Elias

What is worrying you? Just the neighbors?
Who told you that you can't plant anything above a slinky ground loop? How large is the plot?
I'm not a brand expert, but Wolf doesn't have a bad reputation.
Much more important, however, is proper planning and design. How is your heating installer? Do they handle the system sizing and design, or is there a separate planner?

Solar thermal systems? The investment usually doesn’t justify the benefit unless you have an exceptionally high hot water demand (pool or similar).
Photovoltaics are generally always a better option, especially when combined with a heat pump.

face26 schrieb:

What is making you uncertain? Just the neighbors?
Who told you that nothing can be planted above a horizontal ground heat exchanger? How large is the plot?
I’m not a brand expert, but Wolf doesn’t have a bad reputation.
Much more important is the proper planning and sizing. How is your heating installer for that? Does he handle the system design, or is there a separate planner?

Solar thermal? The investment usually doesn’t justify the benefits unless you have an extremely high hot water demand (pool, etc.).
Photovoltaics generally make more sense, especially combined with a heat pump.

Cool, thank you! That was really helpful, especially the tip that photovoltaics are better than solar thermal 🙂

No, it’s not really the neighbors that unsettle me. Well, maybe a little, since everyone is relying on gas (which I personally don’t understand). The plot is 479 m² (5153 ft²), and the planner said that a 150–200 m (490–660 ft) trench is needed for the horizontal ground heat exchanger... which is okay, but he also says that nothing can grow above it anymore. Is that really true?

Elias_dee schrieb:

The planner said that a 150-200 m (490-660 ft) trench has to be dug for the slinky loop collector... which would be fine, but he also said that nothing will grow there anymore. Is that really the case?

I don’t have a slinky loop collector. I wanted one, but it wasn’t possible in our area. However, I did some research back then. Try searching for a forum that focuses on building services or HVAC systems. They specialize in this topic. The concern that nothing would grow there came up quite often. As I remember it, that’s actually not true.

For new construction, a brine heat pump or horizontal ground collector is not necessary. A standard air-to-water heat pump is sufficient. I would never rely on gas for new buildings. Although electricity prices are not fixed either, they have not fluctuated as dramatically as gas prices recently. If costs become an issue, it’s better to move from KfW55 standard to the Energy Saving Ordinance.

Add photovoltaic panels as well. In summer, you can use the electricity to produce hot water, so there’s no need for an additional solar thermal system.

Okay, thanks to both of you! So the situation is quite clear: air-to-water heat pump with photovoltaic panels.

With or without storage?