Heat pump with solar systemHeat with your own power.

A heat pump takes heat from its surroundings and turns it into space heating and hot water. It needs electricity to do this. If that electricity comes from your own roof, your heating costs fall noticeably.

We replace your oil, gas or electric heating and, if needed, plan a matching solar system at the same time. From the first site visit to commissioning, everything stays with one provider.

Are you only looking for a heat pump for an apartment building or a property management company? You are in the right place too. The process is the same, only the planning is larger.

Replacing your heating: why plan now?

An oil or gas heating system lasts 20 to 25 years. If it fails in winter, often the only option is a quick replacement with the same technology. If you plan earlier, you can choose in peace, compare quotes and secure the subsidy.

It is worth enquiring even while your heating still works. During the site visit, we tell you how much remaining life is realistic and which option suits your house.

What comes on top when replacing an oil heating or gas heating system:

• Oil tank: taken out of service, emptied and cleaned. The space that becomes free can often be used.
• Chimney: It is no longer needed. We clarify what happens to it.
• Gas connection: It is shut down with the supplier.
• Hot water: The existing boiler is usually replaced by a heat pump cylinder.

Which heat pump suits your house?

There are three common systems. Which one is suitable depends on the plot, permits, heating system and budget.

System	Heat source	Special feature
Air-to-water	Outside air	Lower investment, no drilling. Noise needs attention.
Ground-source (brine-to-water)	Ground	Higher investment, very steady output. Permit required.
Water-to-water	Groundwater	Very efficient, but only possible with a water right and a suitable location.

The air-to-water heat pump is the most common in Switzerland. It can also be installed well in existing buildings. For siting, noise and costs, read air-to-water heat pump.

The ground-source heat pump uses the constant temperature underground. It works more efficiently in winter, but needs a borehole and a permit. You will find details under ground-source heat pump.

We do not decide which system makes sense for you at a desk. We look at your house and plot and calculate both options.

Heat pump with solar system: how they work together

A heat pump uses several thousand kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, most of it in winter. A solar system produces a lot in summer and less in winter. The combination still works well:

• In spring and autumn, the heat pump runs on solar power during the day.
• Hot water production can be moved to the hours when the sun is strong.
• Part of the solar power that would otherwise flow into the grid becomes heating energy. Your self-consumption rises.
• With a battery storage system and an EV charger, you use even more of your own power.

The right size is important. A system designed only for household electricity is usually not enough for a heat pump. We therefore plan the solar system with the future heating electricity in mind. The control system tunes the heat pump and the solar system to each other.

In winter, part of the electricity still comes from the grid. That is normal and applies to every heat pump. The solar system reduces that share, but does not replace it completely.

Does a heat pump work in an older building?

Yes, in the great majority of cases. The question is not the age of the house, but the flow temperature. This is the temperature at which the heating water flows into the radiators.

• Up to about 55 degrees: A heat pump usually works well without major changes.
• Above that: We check whether individual radiators should be replaced or the building envelope improved in places. High-temperature units are one option, but they need more electricity.
• Underfloor heating: It is ideal, because it works with low temperatures.

During the site visit, we measure which flow temperature your radiators need at which outside temperature. This shows whether insulation is necessary. Often it is not.

Heat pump in a single-family home

In a single-family home, replacing the heating is usually straightforward. A typical choice is an air-to-water heat pump with a heating demand of about 6 to 12 kW. Depending on space, the unit stands in the garden, on the house wall or, as a split unit, partly indoors.

We pay attention to the following points at your house:

• Where does the unit stand, and how far is it from the neighbour?
• Is the electrical installation sufficient, or does the meter cabinet have to be adapted?
• How large does the hot water cylinder have to be?
• Does the roof yield match the future electricity demand?

What running costs can you expect?

The investment is only one part of the calculation. The running costs matter too, and they depend on three things: the heat demand of the house, the efficiency of the heat pump and the electricity price.

For every kilowatt-hour of electricity, a heat pump delivers several times as much heat. An oil heating system cannot do that: it burns at least one kilowatt-hour of oil for every kilowatt-hour of heat. A heat pump also needs less maintenance and no chimney sweep.

We calculate your running costs in the quote using your figures: your previous oil or gas consumption, your electricity tariff and the share of solar power. This way you see beforehand what the changeover brings in daily life, and not only after the first winter.

What happens to hot water, boiler and radiators?

A heat pump does not only heat, it also prepares the hot water. A cylinder is part of this. It is connected to the heat pump and makes sure enough hot water is always available. For hygiene reasons, it is heated to a higher temperature at regular intervals. We like to use the hours of strong sun for this.

In many cases, the existing radiators and pipes can stay. We check them during the site visit:

• Which rooms do not get warm enough in cold weather?
• Which radiators are too small for low flow temperatures?
• Is the pipe network tight and insulated?
• Are there rooms with underfloor heating that are particularly suitable?

After the check, you know whether individual radiators have to be replaced and what that costs. It is then stated in the quote.

Heat pump in an apartment building

Switching also pays off in an apartment building. The systems are larger, the planning is more complex, and several parties are involved. In condominium ownership, resolutions of the owners’ meeting are also required.

We support you from comparing options through quote and subsidies to installation. With a self-consumption community (ZEV), residents can share the solar power for the heat pump and their households. During the site visit, we show you whether this makes sense for your building.

What we check during the site visit

The site visit usually takes one to two hours. We bring measuring devices and look at what is needed for a reliable quote:

• age, output and condition of the existing heating
• previous consumption of oil, gas or electricity
• radiators, underfloor heating and flow temperature
• possible location for the heat pump and cylinder
• electrical installation, meter cabinet and supply line
• roof, orientation and shading for the solar system

Afterwards you know which option is possible and which is not.

What does a heat pump cost?

The costs depend on the system, the heating output and the work needed in the house. As rough guide values for a single-family home, before subsidies are deducted:

System	Guide value, total cost
Air-to-water heat pump	around CHF 30,000 to 50,000
Ground-source heat pump	around CHF 45,000 to 70,000

These are ranges, not prices. Your price depends on the removal of tank and chimney, the condition of the radiators, the drilling depth, access to the plot and the electrical installation.

You receive the binding quote within 72 hours of the site visit, with all items, subsidies and a calculation of the running costs.

Subsidies for replacing your heating

Replacing a fossil-fuel heating system is subsidised in Switzerland. The amounts differ greatly.

• Canton: Usually through the cantonal buildings programme. Each canton sets the amount and conditions itself.
• Commune: Some communes and energy suppliers pay additional amounts.
• Taxes: In most cantons, you can deduct the investment in an existing building from your taxable income.

Important: In many cantons, the subsidy application has to be submitted before construction starts. We know the deadlines and include the subsidy application for the heating replacement. And: on request, we pre-finance the subsidies, so you do not have to wait for the payout.

How your heating replacement works

1. Enquiry: Online in a minute or by phone.
2. Site visit: We check the heating, radiators, space, electrical installation and roof. Free of charge.
3. Quote in 72 hours: binding, with subsidies and running costs.
4. Permit and subsidy application: We submit the applications, the noise protection certificate and the subsidy application.
5. Removal and installation: Old heating and tank out, new heat pump in. With ground-source systems, the drilling comes first.
6. Solar system: If planned, we build it in the same project.
7. Commissioning: We set the heating curve and show you how to operate it.

Planning through to commissioning stays with us. You have one contact person instead of several tradespeople.

Heat pumps in your region

Our locations are in Zumikon ZH and Lachen SZ. We work throughout German-speaking Switzerland, most often in the Cantons of Zurich, St. Gallen, Schwyz and Aargau. The rules on subsidies, noise protection and boreholes are set by the cantons and sometimes by the communes. We know the procedures locally and tell you during the site visit what applies at your address.

Enter your postcode in the appointment card, and you will see our nearest reference installations.