Sustainable heating-what to consider

As in almost every winter, as a homeowner, one thinks about environmentally friendly and inexpensive heating. The selection of systems is now immense-and almost everyone has its advantages, but also disadvantages.

Those who have the idea of retrofitting their own heating system do not necessarily have to take large sums of money in their hands. In many cases, modern heating can also be rented in a budget friendly way. This is interesting, for example, if the need for a new plant is very urgent or if it is only needed temporarily.

Conventional heating systems

One of the conventional heating systems is oil heating, which is still represented in a good 23 percent of all German households. However, it is also considered to be the largest environmental offender among all heating options. However, oil heating in rural areas is still often the only heating option today-as the legislator knows. That is why the installation of oil heating in new buildings from 2026 is prohibited, but with exceptions: on the one hand, they are also permitted in new buildings, provided they are combined with renewable heating technologies, and on the other hand, existing plants may remain in operation. Nevertheless, if the conditions are right, it is worth thinking about an exchange of oil heating. A hybrid solution, such as the combination of oil and solar, is already being subsidized by the state. If you want to do even more for the environment, choose the so-called climate-neutral heating oil, in which manufacturers compensate for the CO2 balance by means of replacement measures.

The number of houses with gas heating has been increasing in Germany for several years. In contrast to oil heating, natural gas is significantly more environmentally friendly in terms of CO2 emissions. In addition, these heaters are favorable in the purchase as well as maintenance and the plant itself consumes only little space. However, a lot of methane is released during gas extraction-and this is also a real climate killer.

However, modern gas heaters can be made particularly easily more environmentally friendly. Sometimes by using biogas or by using environmentally friendly technologies such as the heat pump.

Departure from fossil fuels

Nevertheless, the future of heating does not lie in fossil fuels. In recent years, alternative energy concepts have proven to be particularly effective and environmentally friendly, especially in new buildings.

This includes, on the one hand, the already mentioned air-water heat pump, which gains the heating energy from the ambient heat. An alternative is pellet heating, but the purchase price is quite high. And: you need a lot of space for the boiler and the storage of the pellets. Heating with solar thermal energy is also one of the alternative concepts. The energy of the solar radiation is converted into heat energy and then stored in a water storage tank. This allows you to use the solar energy even in winter.

In most cases, conversion to alternative energy concepts is already worthwhile after a few years, as fossil fuel prices are rising. However, it must also be borne in mind that energy costs explode especially in unrenovated houses. The problem is not new: a few years ago the study by the consulting group Ecofys on the economic efficiency of heating systems came to this conclusion.

Upgrade or rebuild?

While in the case of new buildings a good energy balance is taken into account from the outset, it is not enough for existing properties to simply make the heating more environmentally friendly. At the same time, walls, cellars and ceilings must be insulated here to compensate for the loss of heat outside. Windows are also a weak spot in older houses, which should be cleaned up so that a new or upgraded heating is really worthwhile.

Those who have inherited an old house, for example, should therefore carefully consider whether they are energy efficient rehabilitating or prefer to build new ones. Because the cost of insulation as well as modern, triple-insulated windows or the replacement of old heating pipes quickly go to the hundreds of thousands.

What & APOs; s more, it used to be simply different from today & APOs; s construction. For example, bathroom and kitchen were pure utility rooms and correspondingly narrowly cut. Today, however, a bathroom is a wellness oasis and the kitchen is often openly integrated into the living room.

So what & APOs; s better for real estate owners: keeping or tearing down assets? Finally, a decision of such scope remains a matter of finance and personal taste. In many cases, emotional factors also play a part-for example, if you have inherited the house of your parents.

In any case, however, property owners should inform themselves about the subsidies that one gets for insulation and new heating systems. Both the federal government and the individual federal states are actively helping homeowners on this point. As a result, up to 45 percent of the investment costs can be funded for the change from oil heating to heat pump. If, on the other hand, you decide to build a new building instead of a house renovation, you can also look forward to numerous funding programmes that facilitate this step.