CO2-FREE

ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND
SUSTAINABLE LIVING

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ELIMINATE CO2 AND CUT COSTS

A key step towards a Zero Emission Home and making a positive contribution to protect the environment and reduce fuel costs is a modern and efficient heating system.

Ageing fossil-fuel powered heating systems produce the greenhouse gas CO2 – the main cause of global warming.

Switching to an electrically powered heating solution causes a significant reduction in the volumes of harmful CO2 emitted. The energy is produced instead by ecologically sustainable and renewable energy sources. Sustainably produced electricity can be used effectively in combination with a modern energy management system

01
Vision & present

Electric heating is the key

A heating system is the most important ally in the battle against CO2 emissions. The changeover to an electric solution is a key step in the right direction.

Whether you build a new house or renovate an older one, the move to an electric heating system always pays — particularly when the energy used comes from a renewable energy source.

In addition, there is a wide range of systems, each of which – with the right source of energy – can be used, individually or in combination, to reduce damaging CO2 emissions, such as underfloor heating, wall heaters, infrared elements, direct and outdoor area heating. – heating outdoor areas is not considered green!

How it works

Independent and sustainable. These components help turn your house into a Zero Emission Home:

02
Functionality
Zero Emission Home - Haus illustriert

Electric heating

Electric heating systems can be installed almost anywhere around the house. As well as generating healthy heat, underfloor electric heating appliances are easy to install and have a long working life.

CO2-
freedom

Independence

Cost
minimisation

Comfort and
convenience

THE FOUR PRINCIPLES OF
THE ZERO EMISSION HOME

03
Four principles

Residential example:
Young family goes CO2-free

A young Munich family decided to build the brand-new home they had always dreamed of. The most important prerequisite was to keep their ecological footprint as small as possible. They did some internet research and soon discovered the ETHERMA ZERO EMISSION HOME concept.

04
Residential example

THE CHALLENGE.

Independence from oil and gas was of great importance to the customer, as was a healthy dust-free environment and a ‘low-to-no-maintenance’ heating system. The interior had to benefit from pleasant radiant heat. Externally, the family wanted patio heaters and outdoor underfloor heating.

Furthermore, the goal was to link everything up to a photovoltaic system to be controlled via an intelligent home automation system.

THE ZERO EMISSION HOME SOLUTION.

A holistic energy concept was developed in close cooperation with the ETHERMA planning team to meet all these requirements. The electric heating system is an essential component and combines underfloor and infrared heating infrastructure.

The solution to this challenge was an ETHERMA underfloor heating system. Heating mats were integrated into the concrete floor, enabling the heat produced to be stored by the floor itself. In time, the heat is released into the room. The bathroom and living room areas were fitted with additional LAVA® Design infrared heating. When required, this can very quickly generate a cosy and warm feel.

As well as storing self-generated energy in the form of heat, the family also chose to hook up a battery to store power. In combination with eNEXHO and an Intelligent Energy Management System, this was used to coordinate the electricity generated in the house and to optimise the consumption of the self-generated power within the home.

Self-sufficient electricity production does not merely reduce CO2 emissions and costs. 100% green electricity from your own PV unit, subject to a ViShare Energy Community 100% green electricity tariff, makes customers independent of fossil fuels and achieves 0% CO2 emissions.

How it works:
Zero Emission Home

It takes just two minutes to explain the concept:
An overview of all the requirements and benefits.

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05
Video

Your questions:
Our answers

Can a Zero Emission Home (ZEH) work without electric heating?

No! The electric heating system is the centrepiece of every ZEH. In general, heating is the key factor in any house in terms of CO2 emissions and energy costs. This is where the greatest potential for the reduction of both can be found.

Isn’t electrically-powered heating much too expensive?

Is it cheaper to drive an electric car or a petrol-powered car?
There are clear benefits to installing electric infrared heating and underfloor heaters. Removing the need for a heating room and a chimney reduces building costs.

Over 15 years this will generate the lowest overall expenditure. The total cost is made up of the investment in the system, the cost of operation, consumption, repairs, maintenance and service. Electrically-powered heating offered supreme comfort and convenience. It can be customised to personal heating requirements, reacting quickly and only heating when absolutely necessary. The heating in each room can be regulated separately and independently – saving energy and money. Once installed, there is nothing else to do. No service required, no fuel inspections, no chimney sweeps.

Electricity is the only form of energy that can be generated by photovoltaics and wind power, making the owner autonomous – particularly in combination with a PV system and battery energy storage. Heating with electricity can be done with green electricity sourced in the local area, so none of your electricity need be wasted. Energy providers offer specific pricing with electricity – even special rates for heating via infrared. We would be happy to advise you.

In general, demand for heat is falling, particularly in new buildings. Other systems are often too large and inflexible for the task.

Doesn’t the concept only work in newly-built houses?

Ideally, the goal of the ZEH is most easily achieved in a newly built house, since it’s possible to integrate all the prerequisites from the outset.

However, restoration and renovation projects allow plenty of opportunities to install the right insulation, glazing and an ideal heating system.

Of course, after renovation it will be necessary to install all the other components of the ZEH, such as the PV system and a green electricity supply.

Can a ZEH really achieve energy self-sufficiency the whole year round? Is there enough sunshine in Central Europe to produce the required amount of electricity?

No. In summer a PV system can comfortably cover your electricity needs, but in winter, particularly in our part of Europe, too few hours of sunshine are recorded to achieve this goal. That’s why it’s necessary to source electricity from the grid – green electricity of course. This way you remain green and CO2-free, and your house remains a ZEH.

What are the benefits of ETHERMA products in comparison to other heating systems?

In comparison to other heat generation systems, infrared heaters offer far better final energy efficiency. They generate the necessary heat in the actual installation area. The heat loss associated with pumped-water heating systems – when the hot water passes from the boiler, along the pipes and into the heating elements – does not occur with an infrared system. The improved exploitation of the available heat energy radiated by such heating systems ensures a lasting reduction of costs.

Due to the direct radiation of heat generated by an infrared heater, on average occupants perceive the room temperature to be two or three degree warmer than it actually is. As a result, infrared heating systems heat for shorter periods of time than other heating systems. Consumers save on fuel purchases and can heat consciously and more sustainably. Every degree the heating goes down equates to a 6% (+/-) saving in energy consumption.

For the benefits of underfloor heating – see the website:
https://www.etherma.com/en/underfloor_heating/the_advantages_of_electric_underfloor_heating

 

Benefits of regulating technology as featured on the website:
https://www.etherma.com/en/control_systems/the_advantages_of_the_latest_control_systems

https://www.etherma.com/en/control_systems/building_services

 

No maintenance or service necessary.

Isn’t the electro-magnetic smog created by electric and IR heating unhealthy?

Electro-magnetic smog is the radiation produced by electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic technology.

The electromagnetic field generated by ETHERMA infra-red heating systems is negligible. There are only a very weak fields along transmission cables or power supply lines. ETHERMA underfloor heating systems are built – without exception – using dipole heat conductors, meaning that there is almost no electromagnetic field (<25nT and thus harmless).

Overall, it is important to note that infrared radiation cannot be seen as equivalent to electro-smog. The heatwaves themselves have nothing to do with radiation levels.

It’s almost impossible to avoid electro-smog completely in everyday life; unless we strictly cut out the use of smartphones, laptops, tablets, chargers, TVs, electrically-powered kitchen appliances, radio alarm clocks etc.

What should I do if there’s a power failure? Will my ZEH still work?

As a rule, no heating system can work without power – except for stoves, fireplaces and Danish ovens fired by wood.

Even heat pumps and pellet-fed heating systems require electricity to function. Similarly, underfloor water heating systems also rely on electricity to operate the circulation pump and deliver warm water to every floor of the house. Everything requires a supply of electricity!

However, electricity can always be produced by the PV system. Even if the power grid is out, a ZEH using PV-generated electricity can still operate independently.

How do we help with the implementation of your project? How can ETHERMA provide assistance for your Zero Emission Home project?

Professional advice and planning for the entire electric heating system.
Calculation of the Energy Performance Certificate rating.
Should you require additional components for your ZEH, we would be happy to establish contact to reputable partners.

06
FAQ

Find out now!

Any questions? We would be delighted to
inform you about the Zero Emission Home.
Thank you
for your message.
07
Contact
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