Alternative heating: which is the best?

Fossil fuels are becoming scarce and expensive – and are largely responsible for climate change. Yet more than half of the heating systems in Switzerland are replaced by gas or oil heating systems after death. Because we think this is the easiest and cheapest way. In fact, most heating alternatives are cheaper in the long run in terms of maintenance and energy costs. So I am determined to one day replace my gas heater with an alternative. But which one suits me?

One variant seems to fail for me: district heating. Simply because there is no suitable network in my area to which my house could be connected. But I think the idea of ​​heating several houses with a heat source that still generates the heat is great. Although in most cases the heat still comes from gas or oil wells. But it can also come from renewable sources, and will probably do so more and more in the future.

I am skeptical about heating with solar energy. Not because the idea doesn’t convince me, but because I shy away from the effort and frankly don’t really believe in efficiency. Especially since we only had 72.25 days of sunshine in Zurich in 2021 – that’s never enough to keep a house warm 365 days a year. But: Energy and impulse consultant Corina Schick says it is indeed possible: «In fact, there are also buildings here that are only heated with solar energy. However, this requires the installation of a large storage tank that can store the solar energy for several days.” Where I should install such a thing is a mystery to me, but who knows. As you know, you never say never.

An option would be wood heating. Swiss forest law stipulates that only as much wood may be used as it can grow again. When burned, the same amount of CO₂ is released as if the wood were to rot unused in the forest. So if you heat with local wood, you hardly have a negative impact on the climate. Expert Corina Schick responds to my concerns that storage takes up a lot of space and that burning stinks: “Logwood in particular needs a lot of storage space. If you don’t have that, opt for pellets, which require no more storage space than an oil heater. Both burn very cleanly and leave no residue. Moreover, they are cheap to purchase and use.” Which speaks clearly to her.

I think heat pumps are a very exciting alternative to gas and oil heating. They absorb energy from the air, soil or water and release it in the form of heat. In other words, the opposite of a refrigerator, so to speak. An installation notification is required for installation, whether permits are required depends on the canton and municipality, explains consulting engineer Petra Tanner. And what about noise pollution? «Air-water heat pumps make about as much noise as refrigeration units on the roof of a supermarket. However, this only happens if the sound is amplified on other surfaces, which is why the cantons prescribe a maximum number of decibels over a certain distance.” The cost depends on many factors, so I would have to have them calculated individually.

I flirt with a wood heating or a heat pump. But I haven’t completely written off solar energy either. And who knows, maybe a district heating network will come close to me. What must we do? Get advice, says expert Corina Schick: “Anyone interested in switching to renewable heating can use the heating cost calculator at erneuerbarheizen.ch to get a detailed cost comparison of the annually recurring energy costs, the operating and maintenance costs and the investment costs. Thanks to the lower energy costs, several hundred francs can be saved every year. The best way to do this is with an impulse consultation, where trained experts from the energy and heating industry are at your side.”

Now it’s your turn: do you still heat with fossil fuels or do you already use an alternative? If yes which one? Why did you choose this one? If not, why stick with oil or gas? Looking forward to your reports in the comment column.

Source: Blick