Now it has been decided that the old gas heating should be out.
For three decades, it has warmed family homes reliably, but not efficiently.
Tomorrow the energy consultant will come, and because the editor is facing the same problem, except that he is heating with oil, he will sit down.
The advice is strictly targeted: Is the gas running?
Wonderful, we're using fuel cell heating.
This is a famous technology, it turns the natural gas into hydrogen for the fuel cell, which uses it to generate electricity, and the waste heat is used for heating.
The efficiency of this cogeneration is high, but despite the subsidy it is darn expensive.
Whether new radiators and insulation wouldn't make sense beforehand - no, we heat efficiently.
And what if no heat is needed at the moment?
Then it just doesn't make any electricity.
The electrical output of the fuel cell is rather modest at well under one kilowatt, that of the Toyota Mirai just presented has an output of 128 kW, but it is hardly more expensive than comparable cars.
Because the small heating cell cannot give off much heat, the main load is carried by an ordinary condensing boiler.
Just like the fuel cell, it releases CO2 when it turns itself into hydrogen.
We actually wanted to get away from that, so the fascinating technology of fuel cell heating is not promising as long as natural gas and not pure hydrogen flows in the gas network.
So for a long time.
Note: If you need advice, you shouldn't ask someone who wants to sell.