Heating replacement in an old building with radiators and floor heating

"We were already pioneers back then with our heating system," says Norbert Bächer, referring to the oil-fired combined heat and power plant from 2004, which until recently heated his house and produced electricity at the same time. At the time of installation, it was state-of-the-art technology, subsidized by the state, with a high feed-in tariff for the electricity supplied to the grid for 20 years. However, such old combined heat and power plants based on fossil fuels are not only harmful to the climate, but are also usually no longer profitable. In December 2023, when the plant suddenly stopped working and could not be repaired, good advice was needed.

Fortunately, heating engineer Christian Fischer quickly had a solution at hand. The performance of the Hybrox 16 air/water heat pump from alpha innotec perfectly meets the requirements of the residential building, which Bächer has lived in since he was a child. The origins of the house date back to 1954, since then it has been repeatedly extended, modified and partially modernized. As part of the modernization work, some of the existing radiators were replaced with underfloor heating. The old combined heat and power unit could simply be replaced by the new heat pump system without any further measures. Thanks to a well thought-out connection concept and coordinated components, the replacement was quick and uncomplicated. In the meantime, the Hybrox 16 has successfully coped with the first cold days, with snow and sometimes -15°C outside temperatures, without any loss of heating in the rooms.

The Bächer family's heating system is now up to date again, but this time it is climate-friendly and independent of oil and gas.