Marisa and Manuel contacted us because they wanted to reduce the heating costs of their house.
At that time, their house had a propane boiler with an integrated DHW accumulator and an underfloor heating system.
On our first telephone contact, they told us that their main concern was not being able to turn on the heating system every time they wanted to have a comfortable temperature throughout the house.
If they did so, consumption would skyrocket since they had a fairly large house, with average insulation and located in a severe climate zone with very low temperatures in the winter.
In this first conversation, they told us that during the last few years they had been using heating as little as possible and exclusively in the areas where they spent time the most. Despite limiting their use to the minimum, they had been paying between 600€ and 800€ per month for gas during the winter season.
Marisa and Manuel were clear about it. They wanted to be able to turn on the heating to enjoy a comfortable temperature throughout the house without having to worry about getting a very high bill.
They did not mind making a larger initial investment, but they wanted to be able to enjoy comfort at their home at an affordable price. Something that until now they had not been able to achieve due to their propane gas system.
From the beginning, we understood their situation and frustration since they were still paying between 600€ and 800€ per month in the winter season despite not being able to heat the house whenever they felt like it.
It was not the first time we had encountered such a case: a large house, with average insulation, located in a severe climate zone and using a propane gas system.
So, from the beginning, we knew that a geothermal or aerothermal heat pump system from the Austrian manufacturer iDM would be the most suitable equipment for this case, as they are designed to work in severe climates.
In addition, we proposed that they install a self-consumption system with photovoltaic panels to further reduce consumption.
This way, we would cover the heating and DHW demands with one single piece of equipment. In addition, with this system they could also cool their house in summer, using the existing underfloor heating.
It was clear to us that this system could provide the comfort they were looking for with very low consumption.
The heat pump work requires a small electrical consumption, which could be even more limited by having an electrical production system with a photovoltaic self-consumption system.
In addition, we prepared a complete energy study for the two options we had recommended: geothermal heat pump and aerothermal heat pump.
Thanks to our years of experience, we have found that this study is essential when making the right decision, since it details the initial costs for each system, as well as the estimated savings and consumption. That is why we always include it in our proposals.
Marisa and Manuel were pleasantly surprised when we presented this study. As they told us, it was decisive when it came to choosing the system that would provide them with exactly what they were looking for.
After analysing both options, Marisa and Manuel opted for the iDM aerothermal heat pump system since it required a lower initial investment than geothermal energy and also had very high yields, even with the low temperatures reached in the area.
In addition, they decided to complement the installation with a photovoltaic self-consumption system. This way, they would have their home heating reduced to a minimum.
This investment was even more profitable because in Hoyo de Manzanares, as in most municipalities in Spain, there are property tax rebates for self-consumption photovoltaic systems.
In this case, this bonus would be 25% for 5 tax periods. To benefit from this rebate, Energanova provided them with a visa report to be submitted to their city council.
Once we were informed about their decision, we studied the existing installation to get the most out of it. Based on this study, we decided to divide the house into 4 independent control zones, managed directly from the heat pump itself.
To do this, we placed several temperature and humidity probes via radio in different areas of the house. Thus, this family would enjoy greater comfort with reduced consumption, since they could independently regulate the temperature and schedules of the different areas of the house based on their use. No additional investments are required.
The installation has an air-to-water heat pump by the Austrian manufacturer iDM model ML 11-18, whose performance responds perfectly to the climatic needs of the area, as it maintains very good performance even at very low temperatures. Undoubtedly, the best option for this house.
In addition, we installed a 300-litres storage tank for domestic hot water (DHW) Enertres model DPSA MAX-300 with a large exchange coil to achieve maximum efficiency of the heat pump.
For the heating/cooling inertia, we installed an Enertres 500-litres storage tank, model DPI -500F.
While it would not be strictly necessary to install a buffer tank of these dimensions since the heat pump has an inverter compressor that adjusts to the house’s demands, we decided to install one to make the most use of the surpluses.
This was possible because the heat pump has a Navigator 2.0 control system, which integrates a photovoltaic function.
This function makes it possible to use the photovoltaic surplus and store the energy in the buffer tank in both summer and winter.
If this surplus is produced in winter, it is stored in the form of hot water for heating; while if it is produced in summer, it is stored in the form of cold water for cooling.
This thermal use of the photovoltaic surplus is a very effective way to get the most out of the photovoltaic panel installation, and therefore turn it into a more profitable investment at any time of the year.
For the control of the installation, we placed humidity and temperature sensors in 4 zones of the house,
which can be controlled independently with the Navigator Pro control system integrated into the iDM equipment.
In addition, the system can also be controlled remotely and free of charge thanks to the Austrian manufacturer’s app.
The photovoltaic self-consumption installation consists of a photovoltaic kit of 3.24 kW of peak power (12 panels * 270W) with a hybrid inverter Kostal Plenticore model. This inverter would also allow them to integrate lithium batteries in the future if they wish to do so.
The photovoltaic production potential is estimated at around 4,000 kWh per year. However, in the case of this installation we estimate that the actual production will be lower since the orientation and inclination of the panels are not ideal.
No initial investment. You will pay for it with the savings generated.
