Picking a heating system is determined by several typical factors. These may include that the current unit was already installed and continues to function. In case of an older system, removal could be costly and getting a replacement or substitute would require a lot of effort. Newer heating units may be more expensive for a given consumer. For private consumers, there are also differences in flexibility depending on whether the home they live in is owned or rented. In terms of age, almost half of German gas heating units were nearing 30 years of use or even extending beyond that mark, which means they need to be changed by law. The heating market in Germany is dominated by gas and oil-fired heating systems.
Alternative sources of heating are slowly making their way onto the German market, each with their own pros and cons. These include heat pumps, which are widely praised for using ambient heat from air, earth or water. This is further converted to heat energy. While emissions from heat pumps are much lower and the energy used is freely available, the units need electricity to run, which may lead to higher electricity costs. Installation can also be expensive, though it is partially funded by the German government if certain conditions are met.
Solar thermal energy is also an option. Solar collectors are placed on surfaces, most often roofs. Collectors are made up of small tubes containing a mixture of water and antifreeze. This mixture is warmed by the sun, then pumped to a heat exchanger. The resulting energy can be used for heating. Solar thermal systems produce no emissions and are described as low maintenance, easy to install, as well as usable in combination with gas heating. However, successful usage largely depends on a sufficient number of sunshine hours, which differs vastly by region in Germany.
Another alternative heat source are wood pellets. Of the advantages listed, those that pop up most often are that wood is a renewable source in itself, as well as that burning pellets releases only the CO2 the wood already contained in the first place. Disadvantages include high maintenance and that the wood pellets have to be regularly resupplied. This, in turn, leads to transport and delivery costs.
Alternative sources of heating are slowly making their way onto the German market, each with their own pros and cons. These include heat pumps, which are widely praised for using ambient heat from air, earth or water. This is further converted to heat energy. While emissions from heat pumps are much lower and the energy used is freely available, the units need electricity to run, which may lead to higher electricity costs. Installation can also be expensive, though it is partially funded by the German government if certain conditions are met.
Solar thermal energy is also an option. Solar collectors are placed on surfaces, most often roofs. Collectors are made up of small tubes containing a mixture of water and antifreeze. This mixture is warmed by the sun, then pumped to a heat exchanger. The resulting energy can be used for heating. Solar thermal systems produce no emissions and are described as low maintenance, easy to install, as well as usable in combination with gas heating. However, successful usage largely depends on a sufficient number of sunshine hours, which differs vastly by region in Germany.
Another alternative heat source are wood pellets. Of the advantages listed, those that pop up most often are that wood is a renewable source in itself, as well as that burning pellets releases only the CO2 the wood already contained in the first place. Disadvantages include high maintenance and that the wood pellets have to be regularly resupplied. This, in turn, leads to transport and delivery costs.
