Heat pump in the Canton of St. GallenHeating system, St. Gallen.

Permit: building application for air-to-water, cantonal permit for boreholes

In the Canton of St. Gallen, air-to-water heat pumps need a permit wherever they are installed, even if only a heating system is being replaced. Inside the building zone, the building application usually goes through the simplified procedure. The commune decides case by case under the Planning and Building Act (sGS 731.1). The building application form, the energy proof EN-120, dimensioned plans, the data sheet and the heat pump declaration as noise protection assessment are submitted. If there are no objections, the procedure moves quickly.

Every borehole (ground probe) needs a permit from the canton, and the Office for Water and Energy is responsible. The application goes through the commune. The map of permissible areas distinguishes yellow (permitted with a permit), brown (permitted with conditions, a preliminary hydrogeological assessment is needed) and red (generally not permitted). We check your site before the quote and handle the building application and the borehole application for you.

Replacing your heating system: what the Energy Act requires

Oil and gas heating systems remain allowed in the Canton of St. Gallen. When they are replaced, however, 10 percent of the heat demand must be saved or covered from renewable sources. There are standard solutions for this, such as a solar thermal system, new windows or insulation. Exceptions are provided for financial hardship or imminent demolition. With a heat pump, no additional measures are needed.

Subsidies in the Canton of St. Gallen

On behalf of the canton, the Energieagentur St.Gallen pays subsidies for replacing permanently installed electric heating and fossil heating with heat pumps. According to the guide, it is CHF 2,800 for air-to-water up to 20 kW of thermal output, and above that CHF 1,600 plus CHF 60 per kW. For brine-to-water and water-to-water, it is CHF 6,000 up to 20 kW, and between 20 and 70 kW CHF 2,400 plus CHF 180 per kW. The subsidy is capped at 50 percent of the investment.

The application must be submitted online to the energy agency before execution. If work starts earlier, the subsidy lapses. The commitment is valid for two years. We submit the application for you.

Grid operator and electricity price

The cantonal median is 29.8 ct./kWh excluding VAT, above the Swiss median of 27.7 ct. St. Gallisch-Appenzellische Kraftwerke AG supplies 15 communes (29.3 ct.), St.Galler Stadtwerke two communes (30.6 ct.) and Regionalwerk Toggenburg AG three communes (24.8 ct.). The heat pump is registered with the grid operator through a technical connection application. Some utilities have their own tariffs or blocking times, and we clarify this for your utility.

A special feature: valley floors and hill country

The canton includes the Rhine Valley, the Toggenburg and cities with very different conditions. 31.0 percent of residential buildings already have a heat pump, and 49.5 percent are still heated with fossil fuels. We design the heat pump for your house and check whether a solar system reduces your electricity needs.