Questions and Answers
Aerothermal or geothermal heating: What should you choose?
For dwellings with land, the investment in the installation will affect your choice between aerothermal and geothermal heating systems. Although it is more expensive to install, geothermal heating is more economical in service. It is less sensitive to outdoor temperatures and provides a higher coefficient of performance, even on the coldest winter days. With aerothermal heating systems, it may be necessary to use the system’s integrated electric power top-up a few days a year. The coefficient of performance is, on average, higher for geothermal than for aerothermal heating installations. French tax regulations require a COP of 3.3 for an outdoor temperature of 7°C for aerothermal heating systems to qualify for a tax credit. Avenir Energie generators provide a higher COP.
For dwellings without any land, a geothermal source system cannot be envisaged (unless a borehole is used). Aerothermal heating systems, however, are suitable for all types of dwelling.
Geothermal or aerothermal systems: guaranteed economical and ecological heating.
How much can I expect to pay to have a system installed?
The installation costs for a geothermal heating system are about the same amount as for an oil or gas heating system, for the same area to be heated. You can check this out by comparing the price of a boiler, a chimney and a tank with the cost of a geothermal captor system. For air source heating, the investment cost is lower.
Installing a geothermal heating system costs the same as a conventional heating system.
What if I want to change my heating system in the future?
By using a hot water based heating system in your home, you can change the energy source with no problem.
A universal system.
How much land do I need for a geothermal heating system?
Using the latest technical processes, we can optimise the available space. You should, for example, reckon on a land area of about 150 sq. m. to heat a floor area of 100 sq. m. There is also another solution: vertical captors which collect energy at a depth of between 70 and 100 m. As for aerothermal heating systems, they don't need captors and can be installed in dwellings without any land.
You need about 1.5 sq. m. of captor area to heat 1 sq. m.
Can I count on making real savings?
The savings made by geothermal and aerothermal heating systems are very real and undeniable, as the system's operation relies on the free energy available in the ground or air. So yes, you can count on making savings. You can check this out by comparing the consumption costs for various types of energy for an equivalent floor area. Furthermore, the performances of these systems are certified by official organisations, such as CETIAT and EUROVENT.
In general, the energy saving achieved can be up to 75% compared with other types of heating.
Are these systems completely safe?
Completely. Geothermal and aerothermal heating systems use, on the one hand, natural energy from the ground or air and, on the other, electricity to convey that energy into the home. Inside the home, tap water is used in the hot water circuit. As for the generator, its system is filled with a small quantity of non-toxic refrigerant. So there is nothing dangerous in the system.
No flammable liquid, no risk of explosion, no smells: both geothermal and aerothermal heating systems are absolutely safe.
Do these systems require regular maintenance?
This type of heating does not require any specific maintenance. Since there is no combustion, there is no need for chimney sweeping or cleaning soot and dust. Furthermore, the heating system in your home operates as a closed circuit: so you don't need to change the water that circulates in your underfloor heating. If you have an aerothermal installation, all you need to do is make sure the outdoor unit is kept clean. Nevertheless, regular checks of your installation may be required by law. Your installer will give you all the information you need.
A completely safe system requiring no specific maintenance.
But is the energy really free?
The heat stored in the ground or in the air is completely free of charge. It exists naturally. As the owner of your land, you are also the owner of your own energy source. As for air, its energy is available to everyone. The only investment required, on a one-off basis, is the installation of a system to collect and regulate that energy.
For every 4 kW required to heat your home, you only pay for 1 kW.
Does ground source heating really work in the winter?
Whatever the outside temperature, the ground always stores a surprising large quantity of energy, much more than is needed for a house. This energy is constantly renewed by the sun and rain. So all you need to do is to choose an efficient system that is suitable for your house, and you will then reap the benefit all year round. In accordance with the technical regulations in force, our system provides for 120% of your needs every day of the year.
Widely used in Germany and Switzerland, geothermal heating is perfectly suitable for very harsh climates.
Does aerothermal heating work in winter?
The heating power provided by a dual fluid system depends on the outside air temperature. During the winter, this power may not always be enough to cater for all the needs in your home. To avoid any problems of falling temperatures in your home, your installation contains a multistaged top-up system: its operation is optimised by the control system.
Equipped with a multistaged top-up system, aerothermal systems provide excellent heating performances even during the hardest winters.
What will I be able to plant in the garden?
The captors are generally installed at a depth of between 50 and 60 cm. So it is perfectly possible to grow flowers and vegetables, and to plant small bushes in the area where the captors are buried. This area must, however, be kept clear of large trees as their roots could damage the captors.
Your garden remains a garden and you can continue tending it as usual
Is underfloor heating the most comfortable solution?
All recent studies have shown the efficiency and comfort of low-temperature underfloor heating systems, largely as a result of improved manufacturing techniques and, in particular, much more efficient insulation. Thanks to better insulation, the floor is always at a comfortable temperature and the unpleasant feeling of having heavy legs is a thing of the past.
In addition, the air is never too dry in the house, the floors are never cold and, as there are no radiators on the walls, you have more freedom to furnish and decorate rooms as you wish.
Underfloor heating is the best system for controlling the distribution of heat in your home.
Can a geothermal or aerothermal heating system be installed in a house that has already been built?
This type of heating system can be as easily installed during renovation work as during the building of a new house. The only difference to be taken into account is whether or not you have the choice between radiators and underfloor heating, depending on the other work you plan to carry out.
Geothermal or aerothermal heating give the same levels of performance for both newly built and renovated houses.
In an existing house that already has radiators, can they be used with the new system?
Yes. The Avenir Energie system can be adapted to an existing heating installation, such as radiators, provided that they are of a suitable size for heating with water at 45°C. Otherwise, some of the radiators will have to be replaced by bigger ones. On the other hand, it will not be possible to use the cooling function.
Both geothermal or aerothermal heating can be adapted to existing systems.
I understand for heating, but what about cooling the house in summer?
It is perfectly possible to cool your house by using underfloor heating as a cooler. The water circulating under the floor is cooled to between 18°C and 20°C so that it cools the house. This option is provided by a simple cycle inversion device in the generator.
Warm in winter, cool in summer: you can be comfortable all year round.
How is domestic hot water heated?
A geothermal heating system can easily produce enough domestic hot water to cater for all your family's requirements. The heat produced by the generator keeps 300 litres of hot water available in the hot water tank. New-generation aerothermal generators can produce domestic hot water at a temperature between 55°C and 60°C for less than half the cost compared with an electric immersion heater.
Plenty of hot water for all your needs.
