Heat pump: How quickly the conversion pays off

Heat pump
How quickly the conversion pays off

The question of how long it takes for heat pumps, solar panels, etc. to pay for themselves is currently on the minds of almost all of Germany. Not only the federal politicians in Berlin, but also energy companies and small and large property owners are concerned about the energy transition and its costs. But what about concrete figures? How quickly does a heat pump pay for itself instead of a new gas heating system? And how much faster do the costs pay for themselves if you combine the heat pump with photovoltaics? A new study provides some insight.

In a joint study, the energy provider Eon and RWTH Aachen University investigated the question of when alternative heating and electricity systems become more profitable than fossil fuel alternatives. A YouGov survey showed that many people underestimate the savings potential of modern energy solutions.

Eon-Germany boss Filip Thon said at the presentation of the study: “There is often still a lack of knowledge among the population. We want to encourage people to think about their own energy transition and want to provide reliable facts with our study.”

Heat pump vs. gas heating: Renewables cannot be beaten in terms of price

The example of an average, unrenovated terraced house built in 1990 makes it clear what Thon means: If you use a heat pump, solar system and battery storage instead of gas heating, you can reduce your annual energy costs from the current level of around 2,870 euros to 904 euros. The picture is similar for a single-family house built in 2005: the current average costs of 2,947 euros fall by 72 percent to 815 euros per year.

The combination of heat pump, solar system and battery storage also helps massively to save carbon dioxide: if you look at the period of the next 20 years, it reduces the CO2 emissions for the house from the 1990s by 84 percent compared to gas heating. For the single-family house from 2005, the CO2 emissions are even 86 percent lower.

Professor Dirk Müller from RWTH Aachen emphasized that the data basis of the study is very broad and numerous calculations were implemented: “This includes different types of houses of different years of construction as well as household sizes with two or four people. In order to depict different consumption profiles and weather data, we chose the cities of Munich and Essen as examples.”

Heat pump: The federal government supports the conversion

The good news for homeowners: Not only does the combination of heat pump and solar power save a lot of operating costs; because of the CO2 savings, the state also partially subsidizes the installation of such systems. The exact regulations for all eligible measures can be found in the “Guidelines for Federal Funding for Efficient Buildings – Individual Measures” (BEG EM).

This shows, for example, that a report from a federally certified energy expert is necessary, based on a study initiated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Online database can be found.

The amount of the respective subsidy depends on the individual case. If it is not about heating at all, but only about insulation, the subsidy rate is usually 15 to 20 percent of the eligible costs. When installing solar thermal systems, heat pumps, biomass heating, building networks or network connections for heat, the basic subsidy is 30 percent. Those who act by 2028 will also receive a speed bonus of 20 percent (which will be reduced by three percentage points every two years from 2029). If your annual income is less than 40,000 euros, you can get another 30 percent subsidy, and if you use natural coolants in a heat pump, for example, you can get a further 5 percent efficiency bonus – but in any case, the limit is 70 percent of the maximum eligible costs.

Conclusion

So after how long does the combination of heat pump, solar system and battery pay for itself? Although there is no general answer to this, there are now more and more figures and estimates about the profitability of heat pumps, solar systems and the like, which confirm periods of less than 15 years. For example, also the ADAC It takes 10 to 15 years for a heat pump to pay for itself. If this is combined with self-produced electricity, as in the study by Eon and RWTH Aachen, it will pay for itself after 11 to 14 years compared to installing and operating a new gas heating system, depending on the type of house. So anyone who is considering replacing their heating system should find out more information and do the calculations even more carefully.

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