The Choices
Given ever increasing oil and gas prices, we all need to look carefully at our requirements before deciding on how to power a new or replacement heating-cooling system. The choice is usually dictated by the availability of fuel or price, but recently global warming and our attempts to limit its effects have introduced new considerations. Traditionally oil, natural gas, bottled butane, bottled propane or wood burners have been used in Spain but over the last few years changes in building codes and an enforced requirement for energy saving has brought forward the introduction of more energy friendly systems which use solar, ground or air source heat pumps and biomass technologies.
The choice of fuel is personal and will always depend on a variety of factors but sometimes decisions are made simply because of 'its what we've always used in the past' and/or a lack of knowledge in relation to other technologies, so to try and aid the decision making process we have listed below the options available in a way we hope is helpful and practical rather than biased.
Natural Gas:
Natural gas powered systems are not currently an option in Spain unless you live in a major city, but where it is available it is difficult to make a case against it from a financial perspective, providing a modern properly sized condensing boiler is used .Bottled Gas or Propane:
- Boilers significantly cheaper to buy than oil but more expensive to run
- Boilers relatively easy to install
- Fuel available for direct delivery to large storage tanks, or by bottles available from a number of outlets
- Works well with radiators, under-floor heating or warm air heating
- Can work in conjunction with solar but will require planning and a knowledge of integration techniques
- Cannot provide cooling.
Oil:
- Boilers relatively cheap to buy compared with other technologies but quality can be an issue
- Boilers relatively easy to install and fuel generally available for home delivery in bulk
- Works well with radiators, under-floor heating or warm air heating
- Expensive to run
- Can work in conjunction with solar but will require planning and a knowledge of integration techniques
- Cannot provide cooling.
Biomass Boilers:
- Approximately 55% cheaper to run than oil or gas but purchase costs are higher
- Fuel available in 15Kg bags or bulk delivery
- Works well with radiators, under-floor heating or warm air heating
- Can be integrated with solar but requires careful design and planning
- Classified as a RES (Renewable Energy Source)
- Requires space for bulk fuel storage
- Cannot provide cooling
Wood Burning Stove:
- Approximately 50% cheaper to installl than Gas or Oil
- Fuel available in Bulk delivery
- 40% cheaper to run than oil or gas
- Works well with radiators, under-floor heating or warm air heating
- Can be integrated with solar but requires careful design and planning
- Cannot provide cooling
Ground Source Heat Pumps:
- Approximately twice as expensive to install as oil and three times as expensive as gas
- 65% cheaper to run than oil or gas depending on local electricity prices which can vary significantly
- Extremely efficient with under-floor heating systems and works well with low temperature aluminium radiator systems
- Requires a supplementary heat source for domestic hot water or an additional component to be purchased with the heat pump
- Solar technology can easily be integrated
- Installation is only possible if sufficient ground space is available for vertical of horizontal captors
- Able to provide cooling
- Environmentally friendly no CO2, SO2 or Carbon Monoxide emissions,
- Classified as a RES (Renewable Energy Source)
Air Source Heat Pump:
- Approximately twice as expensive to install as oil or gas systems,
- 45 - 65% cheaper to run than oil or gas systems and substantialy cheaper to run than coventional air conditioning when used in cooling mode
- Requires a supplementary heat source for domestic hot water
- Solar technology can be integrated,
- Able to provide cooling.
- Environmentally friendly no CO2, SO2 or Carbon Monoxide emissions,
- Classified as a RES (Renewable Energy Source),