We can say with full responsibility today that trends in home heating are centered around RES. And this is because an important human challenge – of which we are already well aware – is the fight against progressive environmental degradation. High fuel prices and their uncertain availability in the face of war are further pushing consumers to choose heating devices that draw energy from a source that is free and independent of energy sentiment – that is, the environment. The heating of the future belongs to renewable energy sources.
This is the undisputed leader among energy-efficient heat sources – at least when it comes to last year’s choices of Polish investors. The statistics here are really good. Compared to 2021 in 2022, sales of heat pumps increased by 120% overall (that’s more than 200,000 units sold). Water CO units were sold by 130% more, and air-to-water heat pumps – were 137% more. The latter type of pump is scoring in spades once again. Demand is on the rise, as can be seen with even a cursory analysis of sales reports over the past decade. Admittedly, in slightly different statistics, these trends in home heating cover the entire European Union.
Source of statistics: Polish Heat Pump Technology Development Organization.
Mainly because these devices are attractive in terms of everyday use, as more and more people are finding out. Heat pumps are easy to operate, they are emission-free, they provide measurable budgetary benefits, and, well, they are gaining popularity thanks to the fact that some satisfied users recommend them to other interested parties. When the solution was still little known, it did not enjoy public trust. But now that has changed because nothing works more effectively than a neighborhood referral.
Well… almost nothing. Let’s not forget that heat pumps, as heating devices, are highly subsidized in state environmental programs. Attractive financing can be obtained for their installation; from 30 to 45% of eligible costs (purchase, installation), which in concrete terms amounts to PLN 7 – 22 thousand, depending on the type of pump. Reimbursement of the cost of replacing the old heating system with a new one is a powerful argument for choosing this heat source.
On top of that, there are unquestionable operating benefits. Almost all the energy needed to heat a building is drawn from natural resources. Since heat pumps draw about 80% of their energy from renewable sources (ground, water, air), they only need electricity (about 20%) to operate. If, in addition, we combine a heat pump with a home photovoltaic system, heating costs will drop to practically zero. And even if we don’t, the fees during the heating season will be noticeably lower.
So, since the prices of fossil fuels have risen dramatically in recent months (even by more than 100%), interest in RES must have increased. And in the future, sales of air-to-water heat pumps are expected to increase further. This will necessarily strengthen our country’s decarbonization degree.
Photovoltaics are gaining ground (and popularity) because they reduce one of the biggest household expenses – the electricity fee. It is also well subsidized in government programs. This allows you to minimize the cost of installing PV modules and enjoy the profits they bring.
However, the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roofs of our homes does not sit well with everyone. Mainly because of the aggressive advertising policy of the manufacturers of this solution (which is ongoing, if you count persistent attempts by sales representatives to contact them). In addition, at one time, dishonest entrepreneurs have been sniffing out businesses on the subject, entangling the PV industry in financial scams. Their victims were unsuspecting consumers who were looking for savings and trusted the wrong people. We probably all remember the police announcements full of warnings against the “photovoltaic method” – scammers induced people to sign unfavorable contracts and extorted money. The case became notorious, which put the industry in a bad light – it shook consumer confidence. As if that wasn’t enough, photovoltaics were plunged by Polish regulations, changing the prosumer billing system from net-metering to net-billing. Let’s briefly explain what this is all about.
It consists of the prosumer (producer and consumer at the same time) feeding his surplus production into the state’s electricity infrastructure and being able to use it when needed (something like barter: the prosumer gives energy in exchange for the service of storing it).
In contrast, it involves the prosumer selling surplus energy to the grid at market prices set by the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO). However, if he needs to use them, he will have to pay like any other consumer – at the price list set by the ERO (loaded with distribution and tax fees).
The change in regulations was accompanied by media hype, undermining the profitability of installing PV cells. All this brought a decline in interest in photovoltaics.
Fortunately, the solar home heating trend is back in favor, as the practice has shown (specifically, post-change energy bills) that net billing has not drastically reduced electricity savings. Rising inflation and electricity prices have only solidified this. Photovoltaics continue to pay off. At the end of 2022, government subsidies for PV panels (My Current 4.0 program) have also increased, lowering the cost of the overall investment. All in all, consumption is still a method to reduce domestic electricity bills.
For a PV installation to suit our needs, we need to choose the right power. Let’s not install more than we need, because we won’t make any money on it at all (there is a limit on withdrawals from unused surplus). Just here there is no need to follow a hunch, the advice of a neighbor, or the rule: the more, the better.
First of all, we need to calculate the electricity needs of the building where we live (preferably annually). What kind of energy needs we will have in the coming years is crucial when choosing photovoltaic power. To determine this, it is worth estimating what equipment we plan to use (boiler or heat pump, air conditioning, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, etc.) What else is worth analyzing? For example, how many people live in the house? What kind of location do we have? (The more southerly the location of the roof, the greater the energy production). Finally, it is worthwhile to protect ourselves legally against the possible consequences of too low energy production. After all, it ultimately depends on the weather, over which we have no control.
Let’s also remind ourselves that photovoltaic installation is an excellent complement to heat pumps.
Modern trends in home heating also include connected solutions, that is, a type of CO system that allows the use of different heating fuels and different sources of obtaining them. We are talking about the so-called hybrid systems or multi-system hybrids. Currently, the “main heroine” of such systems is the heat pump, and the idea is to combine well-known traditional heating methods with modern ways of obtaining energy from nature, that is, for example, solid fuel boiler + heat pump, gas boiler + heat pump. Of course, such solutions mainly apply to long-used buildings undergoing renovation and modernization. Modern construction tends to go in the direction of abandoning chimneys (which further reduces construction costs!).
And here again – high fuel prices or lack of fuel availability help a lot in choosing related heating systems as a hedge against the uncertain reality.
Green home heating is much cheaper than traditional heating. Of course, we are not used to this fact, as the consumer goods market has taught us that the opposite is true. We pay more for clothes made of organic cotton, and we also pay more for natural cosmetics, not to mention organic food, which costs crores.
However, things are different in the heating market. The more energy-efficient and environmentally beneficial heat source we install, the lower the expenses we will incur during the heating season. Here we are not only investing in quality and health (as in the case of many green goods) but also in reducing the operating costs of the building. The motivation for pro-environmental measures is no longer only changing regulations and directives (such as the European Union regulation containing emission standards for heating equipment), but also personal benefits. New trends in home heating favor long-term savings. We need to switch to such thinking and trust in modern heating technology.