The heat pump is not only an efficient and sustainable heating system, but also an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil energy. Therefore - and this is yet another argument in favour of the heat pump - you can claim subsidies for switching to a heat pump. The heat pump uses energy from air, soil or groundwater and converts it into heating energy. In the following, we will answer the most important questions:
"How exactly does a heat pump work?" "What are the advantages of using a heat pump heating system?" "How much do the installation and operation cost?" "Is there anything else that needs to be taken into consideration?"
We have compiled all the information relating to heat pumps and have put it together for you in a way that is easy to understand.
Using energy from the air by means of a heat pump is the most cost-effective of all three options. No official approval is required and deep drilling and excavation work is not necessary. Even when the outside temperature drops as low as -25°C, the heat pump can still produce heat for the heating. Here, the following rule applies: the higher the outside temperature, the more efficiently the heat pump works.
The upper layer of the earth is warmed up by continuous solar radiation, resulting in temperatures of around 10°C 10 to 15 metres below the earth's surface including during the winter. Using ground sensors or surface collectors, the heat pump produces heat from the ground to heat up the building. This kind of heat pump involves drilling a hole in the ground or installing a pipeline system roughly twice as large as the living space.
With a constant temperature of around 10°C, groundwater is also a viable source of energy. To use groundwater as an energy source for the heat pump, you need two groundwater wells on your property. It is important that a suitable water source can be accessed for the installation to be completed successfully. Rivers, streams, and lakes are also potential sources. All options require authorisation.
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You can plan the installation of a heat pump heating system in new buildings from the very start, but modernising your heating system with a heat pump is also highly recommended for old buildings. Vaillant offers solutions that enable heat pumps to work with underfloor heating as well as radiators. This is because underfloor heating is a panel heating system, which means that due to the larger radiator surface, you need a lower flow temperature when the system is in operation. As a result, the heat pump has to work less and is therefore more efficient.
Replacing oil heating systems is particularly worthwhile, because there is no longer any smell of oil, you gain an entire boiler room and you save money on operating costs.
Overall, modernisation involving a heat pump entails extensive work for you, especially if you have decided on a ground-source or a water-source heat pump. However, you shouldn't forget that you will have significantly lower operating costs from now on and are no longer dependent on fossil energy. In addition, by using a heat pump heating system, you are heating in an environmentally friendly manner and conserving natural resources.
In multi-family houses, hybrid heating systems help to satisfy the high heating demand. In single-family homes, hybrid systems are usually used during renovation to expand existing and still functioning heating systems. If there is a high demand for hot water in a detached house, the system can be set up so that the gas provides hot water and the heat pump does the heating.
