The old oil heating system in this house was worn out. The family home, conservatory and swimming pool are now predominantly heated with air as a renewable energy source. The heat pump also ensures there is a supply of hot water in the house. Choosing this sustainable solution didn’t just massively reduce the CO2 emissions – it also brought about efficient, low-maintenance and cost-effective heating.
Choosing the heat pump
This family home, dating back to the late 80s, has a lot of land around it. Although all variations would have been possible here, the owner opted for an external heat pump. An area behind the house, also close to the utility room, presented itself as the ideal place. Geothermal probe drilling would have made the pipe longer and more laborious to lay, as there was no room to place a drill point behind the house and on the slope. External heat pumps are quick to install and have lower investment costs when compared to other heat pump systems. Unlike internal air source heat pumps, external variations require planning permission from the municipality. The operating costs are a little higher than for geothermal probes or groundwater heat pumps: the colder the ambient air, the more energy the heat pump requires to bring the air temperature up to the heating temperature.