Although it still worked, the Kluges' old oil heating no longer stood a chance.
The family from Eberfing replaced it with an environmentally friendly solution and was the first to receive an award from the "Energiewende Oberland".
District/Eberfing
- It heats with a combination of heat pump and solar power and thus serves as a role model for others: the Kluge family from Eberfing, who were the first to receive the "Clean Heating" award from the "Energiewende Oberland" (EWO).
At the award ceremony, Matthias Kluge explained why the family's oil heating system, which was still working, was replaced.
Actually, the Kluge family didn't want to wait until 2022, but wanted to heat in a climate-friendly way much earlier, according to a press release on the award ceremony.
The house in Eberfing was newly built in 1998, and the temperature for heating and water was supposed to come from a heat pump, which can generate a lot of heat with relatively little electricity.
For cost reasons, however, an oil heating system was then purchased.
“That made us really aware of the hazardous substance oil”
But for Matthias Kluge this was not a long-term solution: "In Eberfing I work in the 'Energy' working group and I really wanted to supply my own house with renewable energies," he explained at the award ceremony by EWO energy consultant Andreas Scharli.
"Furthermore, years ago, we had flood damage that caused the oil tank in the basement to leak.
That made us really aware of the hazardous substance oil.”
Electricity for the heat pump comes from your own roof
The replacement of the still functioning oil heating system was preceded by the "heating" suitability check by the Bavarian consumer advice centre.
This took place in 2020. In the summer of 2022, a groundwater heat pump was then installed in the Kluges' house.
"The main arguments in favor of this technology were the good groundwater conditions - accessible groundwater at a shallow depth - and the relatively high efficiency of this technology, which is particularly important for an existing building," said the EWO in its statement.
The Kluges also expanded their photovoltaic system so that they could get the electricity for the heat pump from their own roof right from the start.
In the former tank room is now carpentry
"I always find the heat pump fascinating," says Matthias Kluge's wife Ute.
The pump works "in the basement in front of itself" and turns eight degrees cool water into one with a pleasant shower temperature.
Matthias Kluge sees another advantage: the space that previously served as a tank room can be used for his carpentry work.
The Kluges also renewed the heating for their son and his family, who will soon be living in the two-family house.
There is then climate-friendly heat and power supply across generations, according to EWO, heating is 100 percent clean.
What the EWO wants to achieve with the award
The "Clean Heating" award was developed by the EWO together with the climate protection managers from the region.
It was created as part of the EU-funded "Replace" heating exchange project and is not only intended to acknowledge climate-friendly heating, but also to encourage imitation.
The "Replace" project is aimed at end customers as well as specialists such as architects and installers, as well as politicians.
According to the EWO press release, 44 percent of the energy in the Oberland is used for heating and causes 31 percent of the CO2 emissions.
Ten percent of the thermal energy comes from renewable sources.
More information about
environmentally friendly heating is available online at wärmewende-oberland.de.
The "Clean Heating" award is available from the EWO and the climate protection managers from the region.
