Renovation Results of Finnish Single-Family Renovation Subsidies: Oil Boiler Replacement with Heat Pumps

Abstract

Finland has approximately 150,000 oil-heated private homes. In 2020, the Finnish government launched subsidies for private homeowner energy renovations. In this study, we examine the impact of two new energy renovation subsidies, the ELY grant and the ARA grant, from an energy efficiency point of view. Data from these subsidies reveal that a typical energy renovation case is a building from the 1970s where the oil boiler is replaced with an air-to-water heat pump. With additional data from the Finnish Energy certificate registry, a reference 1970s house is constructed and modelled in the building simulation programme, IDA ICE 4.8. Combinations of several renovation measures are simulated: air-to-water heat pump, ground-source heat pump, ventilation heat recovery and improved insulation. We found that resorting mainly to air-to-water heat pumps is not the most energy-effective solution. Ground-source heat pumps deliver a more significant reduction in delivered energy, especially with additional measures on insulation and heat recovery. Ground-source heat pumps also demand slightly less power than air-to-water heat pumps. Onsite solar PV generation helps supplement part of the power needed for heat pump solutions. Subsidy policies should emphasize deep renovation, ventilation heat recovery and onsite electricity generation.

Reviewing the contribution of retrofitting for climate resilience in residential buildings

“…Therefore, ASHP can provide both heating and cooling under climate variations. Sankelo et al (2022) further confirmed that ASHP is the favourite option (66%) for replacing oil boilers in Finland. The energy demand of ASHP can further be reduced by incorporating additional heat insulation.…”

“…GSHP can provide thermal comfort with a comparatively lower amount of energy consumption in both cold and temperate regions (Akgüç and Yılmaz, 2022; Sankelo et al , 2022) by taking advantage of the earth’s relatively constant temperature through all seasons. GSHP can extract heat from the earth and vice versa.…”

Alternative Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System Considerations for Reducing Energy Use and Emissions in Egg Industries in Temperate and Continental Climates: A Systematic Review of Current Systems, Insights, and Future Directions

“…These generally found that GSHPs had lower environmental impacts than conventional and ASHP systems. The GSHP was more energy-efficient than a conventional system N/A Favourable x x x x [113,114] The GSHP had lower energy consumption compared to conventional system N/A Favourable x [115] The GSHP had lower energy consumption compared to the conventional system N/A Favourable x [116] The GSHP saved energy consumption in heating mode compared to the conventional system N/A Favourable x x [117] The GSHP had lower energy consumption than the conventional system N/A Favourable x [38] The GSHP had lower energy consumption compared to ASHP N/A Favourable x x x x [75] The GSHP was more energy-efficient than the ASHP N/A Favourable x x x [110] The GSHP was more energy-efficient than conventional system N/A Favourable x [85] The GSHP was more energy-efficient than the ASHP N/A Favourable x [118] The GSHP was more energy-efficient than the conventional systems NA Favourable x x x [119] The GSHP showed higher efficiency for cooling than heating…”

“…The GSHP met the cooling load requirements N/A Favourable x [89] The GSHPs used less operational energy than the conventional and ASHP systems N/A Favourable x x x [114] The GSHPs used less energy than the conventional systems…”

The Use of Alternative Energy Sources for the Operation of Engineering Systems of Detached Consumers

“…The authors of [10] carried out a comparative analysis of the economic costs of converting the heating system of private houses from oil boiler units to thermal refrigeration units. The authors of [11] conducted a numerical experiment and formulated recommendations for the selection of heat pumps in relation to various production processes.…”