The right location for your heat pump

The solar thermal system generally provides around 70 percent of your domestic hot water with the help of the sun. It requires approximately 1.5 m² of collector area per person in the household. The exact size depends on your individual domestic hot water consumption, i.e. whether you prefer to shower, take baths or even own a hot tub. If the solar thermal system is designed with a larger collector area, you can also use the sun for central heating in spring and summer.

An air source heat pump generates noise during operation. The sound power level can vary depending on the model, manufacturer, size and environment. In general, modern air source heat pumps are relatively quiet, especially compared to older models. The sound power level or sound pressure level is given in decibels dB (A) and is what we generally understand by "volume".

During operation, air source heat pumps typically generate a sound power level of between 50 and 70 dB (A). Some heat pumps, such as the GreenFOX heat pump, are even lower.

To get an idea of how loud this is, here are some comparative noises:

50 dB(A): Comparable to a quiet conversation or a refrigerator.
60 dB(A): Similar to the volume in an average office.
70 dB(A): Comparable to a normal conversation in a restaurant.

It is important to note that the actual noise level of an air source heat pump also depends on factors such as the distance to the pump, the environment in which it is installed and the power setting of the pump. Some manufacturers also use sound insulation to reduce noise pollution.

An air source heat pump is a heating and cooling appliance that utilises thermal energy from the ambient air and uses it to heat or cool rooms.

Here is a basic explanation of how an air source heat pump works:

1. Absorption of ambient heat: The air source heat pump extracts heat energy from the ambient air, even at low temperatures. Even in cold weather, the air still contains enough heat energy that can be utilised.
2. Vaporisation of the refrigerant: The heat pump contains a closed circuit containing a refrigerant. This refrigerant has a low boiling point and evaporates at low temperatures when exposed to the heat of the ambient air.
3. Compression of the refrigerant: The vaporised refrigerant vapour is compressed by a compressor, which increases the pressure and temperature.
4. Release of heat: The compressed and heated refrigerant vapour releases the stored heat energy to the heating system or hot water tank to heat the room or provide hot water.
5. Condensation of the refrigerant: After the heat has been released, the refrigerant condenses back to a liquid state, releasing the heat energy.
6. Refrigerant expansion: The liquid refrigerant passes through an expansion valve, which reduces the pressure and temperature to close the circuit and return the refrigerant to the evaporator.

This cycle is repeated continuously as long as the heating or cooling system is active. A heat pump can utilise the energy obtained from the ambient air to heat the house. In summer, the principle can be reversed to cool the house.

It is important to note that an air source heat pump reduces its efficiency as outside temperatures fall, as the thermal energy in the cold air is limited. In such cases, supplementary heating systems may be required to cover the heating requirements.

The cost of an air source heat pump depends on various factors, including performance, energy efficiency, brand and installation effort. In general, prices for air source heat pumps tend to range from a few thousand euros to tens of thousands of euros.

It is also important to consider additional costs for installation, maintenance and, if necessary, replacement of parts over time. There may also be regional and national subsidy programmes that provide financial support for the purchase and installation of heat pumps. It is advisable to find out about these options in order to realise potential savings.

In principle, a heat pump can also be worthwhile in an old building if certain conditions are met:

1. Insulation of the building: The energy quality of the old building plays a decisive role. The better the building is insulated, the more efficiently the heat pump can work. However, if the building has poor insulation, the heat pump may not be able to generate enough heat to cover the heating requirements in winter.

2. Heating load: The size of the heat pump must be matched to the heating load of the building. An accurate calculation of the required heat output is important to ensure that the heat pump is adequately sized.

3. Heat distribution: The heat distribution in the old building should also be checked. Ideally, there should be radiators or underfloor heating that can be operated with low flow temperatures for the heat pump. If not, changes may need to be made to the heating system.

4. Availability of geothermal heat or ambient air: The heat pump can either draw heat from the ambient air (air-to-water heat pump) or from the ground (geothermal heat pump or brine-to-water heat pump). The local conditions and available resources play a role here.

5. Cost-benefit analysis: It is important to compare the investment costs for the heat pump and its installation with the potential energy savings over the lifetime of the system. Subsidy programmes and financial incentives can increase the economic attractiveness.

In summary, it can be said that a heat pump in an old building is particularly worthwhile if the building is well insulated, the heat distribution can be optimised and a sufficient heat source (ambient air or geothermal energy) is available. Individual consideration and advice from specialists, such as energy consultants or installers, is advisable in order to find the best solution for the old building in question.

Anyone renovating or building a new home often asks themselves what the key differences are when heating with pellets vs. a heat pump.

Here we have summarised the most important points for comparing modern pellet heating with a heat pump:

Features/differences

In contrast to pellet heating, the geological conditions must be right for heating with geothermal heat pumps. In addition, the boreholes require authorisation and the collectors take up a lot of space in the garden. The pellet boiler with hot water tank and pellet store, on the other hand, fits into the smallest boiler room. If required, an outdoor tank for the pellets can also be installed next to the house. This takes up hardly any space thanks to its compact design. The air heat pump, which is installed in a very space-saving manner like a modern pellet heating system, can generate a lot of noise during the heating period. Pellet heating systems, on the other hand, work with highly efficient combustion methods and produce so little noise that they can even be installed on your ground floor. The air heat pump also finds it more difficult than the pellet heating system to compensate for a very high heat requirement - at extremely sub-zero temperatures.

Environmental friendliness

Heating with pellets is and remains the most environmentally friendly form of comfort heating. When burning wood pellets, only as much CO2 is released as the tree has extracted from the atmosphere while growing. It is therefore climate-neutral. The emissions generated during the production and transport of the pellets only create a very small CO2 footprint. Although no material is burnt when heating with heat pumps, the high electricity consumption actually causes twice as many CO2 emissions as heating with pellets, as the electricity mix for the heat pump is sourced from various power stations in Germany and abroad. With both heating systems, however, you can connect a photovoltaic system and thus produce and use your own electricity.

Operating costs

The heating costs for pellet boilers and heat pumps are roughly the same.