Solar heating is not only environmentally friendly, but also reduces heating costs. In this article, you will find out how much solar heating costs, what types there are and whether it is worth it.
First things first
What is solar heating?
A solar heating system is a system that uses solar energy to heat water or rooms.
How much does solar heating cost?
Depending on the type, a solar heating system costs between €10,000 and €50,000. Heat pumps with PV are the most expensive.
What types are there?
Solar thermal systems, heat pumps with photovoltaics and infrared heaters with photovoltaics are common types of solar heating.
Is there any funding?
Solar heating systems are supported by the federal funding for efficient buildings with a subsidy of up to EUR 701 million.
What is solar heating?
A solar heating system is a heating system that uses solar energy for heating purposes. Solar energy is usually a supplement to an existing heat generator. Depending on the type of solar heating system, solar energy supports the heating system with either heat or electricity.
What types of solar heaters are there?
The traditional way of solar heating is to integrate a solar thermal system into an existing heating system. The combination of heat pump with photovoltaics, where solar power runs the heat pump, is becoming increasingly popular. infrared heating with photovoltaics is a promising heating system for the future.
solar thermal energy
Solar thermal energy generates heat using solar energy. solar thermal systems Solar collectors. A heat transfer medium flows through these collectors and absorbs the heat. The heat transfer medium then transfers the heat generated to the heating system using a heat exchanger. Depending on the application, the solar heat is used directly for heating or hot water. It is also possible to store excess solar heat in a solar storage tank.
In such a combination, heat generation through solar thermal energy takes priority. A system controller only switches on the heating system when the solar heating does not fully cover the heat requirement.
Solar thermal energy for hot water preparation and heating support
heat pump with photovoltaics
Heat pumps are heat generators that generate heat energy using ambient heat. To do this, they use the existing heat energy from natural sources such as the ambient air, the soil or the groundwater. These ambient heat Electricity is added to achieve the required flow temperature.
Through the combination of a heat pump with photovoltaics a solar heating system is created. In this case, the solar energy is used indirectly for heating purposes. The solar power generated is used to operate the heat pump. This has economic and ecological advantages. On the one hand, you generate electricity for the heat pump, and on the other hand, you reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90%.
infrared heating with photovoltaics
The infrared heater uses infrared rays to distribute heat throughout the house. Unlike conventional heating systems, it does not heat the air in the room directly, but rather objects and people. This type of heating works through radiation, not convection, so that no moisture or oppressive air circulation is created. The system uses electricity as an energy source and is particularly cost-effective and climate-friendly when combined with photovoltaics.
This type of solar heating is a relatively new system. From an ecological point of view, infrared heating is only worthwhile when the electricity generation comes predominantly from renewable energies. In addition, it consumes a lot of electricity, so its use only makes sense in energy-efficient houses with low heating requirements. For this reason, infrared heaters are currently considered as additional heaters They are particularly effective in the transitional period in autumn and spring.
infrared heating with photovoltaics
How much does solar heating cost?
For a single-family home, the cost of a solar heating system is between €10,000 and €50,000. You will get the most benefit from a heat pump or infrared heating with photovoltaics, which entails costs of €26,000 to €50,000. Solar thermal energy for hot water preparation and heating support is cheaper, costing up to €12,500.
| type of solar heating | costs for a single-family home |
| Solar thermal energy for hot water preparation and heating support | 10.000 - 12.500 € |
| heat pump with photovoltaics | 30.000 - 50.000 € |
| infrared heating with photovoltaics | 26.000 - 32.000 € |
How profitable is solar heating?
With solar heating you can reduce heating costs by up to 50%. A solar heating system gets a large part of its heat from the sun, which is available free of charge. Meanwhile, the prices for gas and electricity are constantly rising. Although you cannot cover your entire heat requirement with a solar heating system, it is still worthwhile. The following example illustrates the profitability of a solar heating system.
For the following example calculation Let us assume a typical single-family home that uses solar heating in the form of a heat pump with photovoltaics.
Key data:
- Annual heating requirement: 24,000 kWh
- Annual electricity consumption of heat pump: 6,000 kWh
- Gas price: 0.10 €/kWh
- Electricity price: 0.30 €/kWh
- PV electricity generation costs: €0.07/kWh
Invoice:
- Heating costs for gas heating: 0.10 €/kWh x 24,000 kWh = 2,400 €
- Heating costs heat pump at 100 % electricity consumption = 0.30 €/kWh x 6,000 kWh = 1,800 €
- Heating costs for heat pump at 70 % electricity consumption + 30 % PV electricity: (0.30 €/kWh x 6,000 kWh x 0.70) + (0.07 €/kWh x 6,000 kWh x 0.30) = 1,260 € + 125 € = 1,385 €
In this example, the savings from operating a heat pump with PV power amount to €1,015 per year compared to a gas heating system. This corresponds to a saving of around €421,000.
Compared to a heat pump with 100% electricity consumption, a solar heating system reduces heating costs by €415 per year. The saving is approximately €231%.
Are solar heating systems subsidized?
Solar heating systems are powered by Federal funding for efficient buildings (BEG). From January 1, 2024, you will receive a grant of up to €70 million for replacing old, fossil heating systems with systems based on renewable energies. There is a grant of up to €20 million for energy-efficient renovation measures. Many applicants can now also take out a low-interest additional loan to finance these measures.
What requirements must be met?
For optimal operation, a solar heating system should meet certain requirements.
Prerequisites for solar thermal and photovoltaic energy:
- The optimal orientation of the roof: The collectors/PV modules should ideally be oriented towards the south. This way they are exposed to the most sunlight and produce high yields. Orientation towards the east, west or east-west is also possible. In this case, performance losses of up to 30% can be expected;
- The correct inclination of the collectors/PV modules: The solar collectors or solar modules absorb the most solar energy when the rays hit them vertically. Collectors/PV modules with an inclination of around 30 degrees gain the most solar heat due to the constantly changing position of the sun. For roofs facing east and west as well as for flat roofs, lowering the collectors is advantageous;
- No shadows: If your roof is shaded by mountains, trees or buildings for a long period of time, the efficiency of your solar thermal system or solar panel system will decrease. To determine this, conduct a shading analysis for your site.
Requirements for the building envelope:
The efficiency of a solar heating system depends on the insulation standard of your single-family home, as this affects both the low heat demand and the low flow temperatures.
- Well-insulated buildings have lower heat losses. This means that they require less heat. A low heat requirement allows operation with low flow temperatures;
- The recommended flow temperature for new buildings is 35 °C and should not exceed 50 °C for existing buildings. This leads to efficient operation of a solar heating system.
