NIBE heat pumps have been experiencing record sales recently. What is this due to? First of all, the rising cost of conventional energy, but also the increasing opportunities to obtain subsidies for the purchase of a heat pump. All this makes heating with a heat pump the most cost-effective solution, and investment in a heat pump with state financial support becomes the most cost-effective solution.
NIBE S1255 ground source heat pump
© NIBE
The lowest operating costs
How, then, to calculate the operating costs of a heat pump? It is very simple. Just go to nibe.pl and, using the savings calculator, calculate the annual savings with a NIBE heat pump compared to other heating devices. For example, for an average house with an area of 150 m2 inhabited by 4 people, we will pay from PLN 2,900 to 3,600 per year, depending on the type and efficiency of the selected heat pump, and our savings can range from PLN 3,300 to over PLN 10,000 per year (Fig.). The calculator also makes it possible to simulate costs for an older building in a simplified way, for devices of different efficiency and after changes in prices of energy carriers.
Investment in a heat pump is always profitable, because it is the only available technology that, in cooperation with RES installations that generate electricity to power it, such as photovoltaic systems, allows almost free heating and, most importantly, also cooling of buildings.
The cost of operating a NIBE heat pump can also be calculated in a simplified way without using a calculator, but we need to know the annual energy demand of our building. Thus, assuming that our building has a demand of 20,000 kWh, we divide this value by the efficiency of the heat pump, e.g. SCOP=5 for the newest and most efficient NIBE S2125 air heat pump, and we get 4,000 kWh, which means that this is how much electricity the heat pump will need to power the compressor. This value is multiplied by the current total cost of 1 kWh of electricity, e.g. 0.73 PLN gross in the G12w weekend tariff, and we get an annual operating cost of 2,920 PLN/year. If the price of electricity increases by 40% then the cost will increase to approx. 4,080 PLN/year.
Fig. Comparison of annual operating costs of NIBE heat pumps with other heating devices
© NIBE
Top subsidies
Several government programs are currently available in Poland to support investment in heat pumps and other thermal upgrading measures. The owner of an existing building heated with an old solid-fuel boiler can reach for a subsidy under the Clean Air program. He can also take advantage of the so-called thermo-modernization tax credit, under which he will deduct expenses incurred for thermo-modernization measures and the purchase of a heat pump (maximum PLN 53,000) from his tax base. The maximum total amount of subsidies for thermomodernization measures including the installation of a heat pump under the Clean Air Program cannot exceed PLN 30,000 / 37,000/ 69,000 depending on earnings, while a summary of the maximum subsidy thresholds for the installation of a heat pump only is presented in the table. On the other hand, investors building or planning to build a new house are encouraged to take advantage of the My Heat program, under which it is possible to obtain as much as PLN 21,000 for a ground source pump, and PLN 7,000 for an air source pump.
To obtain a grant, the devices must have complete documentation and meet certain technical requirements. Choosing heat pumps from the renowned NIBE brand, we can be sure that these criteria will be met. In addition, we can apply for the highest possible level of subsidy, as NIBE heat pumps have the highest efficiency classes of A++ and even A+++, and rank in the group of heat pumps with higher energy efficiency standards on the ZUM (Green Appliances and Materials) list, which was created to help officials evaluate subsidy applications. Because of this high efficiency, the NIBE heat pump will also make it easier to achieve the required increased energy standard of the building, which is a requirement for support in the My Heat program, and next year this standard will be even stricter: EP<55 kWh/(m2 × year).
When investing in a heat pump, it is also worth considering the installation of a photovoltaic system, which will produce electricity and from its sale we will cover the cost of the energy needed to power the heat pump. In this case, with help comes the My Electricity program from which you can get from PLN 4,000 to 20,500, depending on the complexity of the project.
Indoor unit for NIBE air source heat pump
© NIBE
For more information, visit the company's NIBE-BIAWAR page on the PdD portal.
