Advantages and disadvantages of heat pumps

The advantages resulting from installing a heat pump are numerous and obvious.

First and foremost is the environmental aspect, which is a clear argument in favor of installing a heat pump system at home. By using energy with a seemingly unlimited supply in nature, fossil fuels can be eliminated and you can play a role in achieving the energy transition.

The heat pump also impresses from an economic perspective: Heating costs can be reduced drastically thanks to efficiency and economy during ongoing operation, which quickly leads you to the conclusion that the costs to purchase the pump will soon pay off. In addition, there are currently subsidies available from the Austrian national and regional governments for switching over from oil or gas heating.

The potential it has to offer in combination with a photovoltaic system, which can be easily integrated using smart grid, is not to be underestimated, as it enables environmental friendliness and efficiency to be increased even further.

A further advantage of state-of-the-art heat pump systems is due to the low amount of maintenance they require. Since no combustion takes place in the heat pump to obtain heat, maintenance is relatively easy.

In general, installing a state-of-the-art and efficient heat pump is usually advisable and cost-effective for the reasons mentioned above. Even if the relatively high investment costs might initially seem daunting, they usually pay off after just a short while.

In the case of new build projects, in other words if the heating system can be taken into consideration in the building's very structural design, it's not a hard decision to opt for a heat pump! In the special case of a ground-source heat pump, it should be taken into consideration that there are certain requirements in terms of the ground and soil conditions in order to install it.

The ESTIA from TOSHIBA is definitely ahead of the competition here, as it is has been designed as an air-to-water heat pump and therefore does not depend on the soil conditions and plot size.

When converting an existing system, it is important to know how heating water is distributed in the house or apartment. For example, if the existing radiators are kept when renovating an old property and a high supply water temperature is required to heat them, this can impair the efficiency of the heat pump and result in higher electricity costs as a result. In this case, it is a good idea to replace the old radiators with large-area underfloor heating. A well-insulated building shell also helps to optimally use the recovered heat.