Heating systems in small houses : A comparison between geothermal heating and district heating

Abstract: District heating and geothermal heating are in present times two established heating systems that are often compared against each other. The purpose of this work is to describe which factors influence the choice of heating system during the planning stage and what the costs are for each system. In this paper, a typical house model has been developed and used as a basis for the comparison of both systems. The comparison has been made in the form of energy calculations in the energy calculation program BV2, where heat requirements and regulatory requirements for energy performance have been compared in different geographical areas in Sweden. Furthermore, cost calculations have been carried out based on the energy calculations' results, where investment costs and annual costs have been set against each other. The result of the work shows how the measurement of energy performance differs from the actual amount of purchased energy due to geographical conditions. In the southern parts of Sweden, where the geographical correction factor is below 0, consumers are penalized by raising the primary energy number, unlike the northern parts where the primary energy number is instead lowered. Based on the cost calculations, it can be concluded that district heating, when available, is more economically advantageous in the short term. Geothermal heating on the other hand is a more profitable alternative in the long run.