Eco-Sheet Gas vs Electrical Heating

There are certain elements not taken into account in the study, which we will probably never be able to take into account:

1. Heating systems have a different environmental profile, but also a different cost. It would be interesting to compare a gas-heated and electrically heating house at the same cost, where the cost differential is invested in increased insulation.
   
2. It would be equally interesting to investigate this cost differential in green generation methods.
3. A further refinement at the systems level would be to take the externality of intermittency into account. For example compare the option of battery storage, or via hydrogen with demand management.
4. The next logical step would be to take this to the passive or even zero-energy home. But probably gas heating will cease to be an option in houses with very low energy demand. Otherwise, modelling the intermittent operation of a gas boiler to provide small heat pulses into the building shell may be a challenge.

Oil heating

• boiler 2,000 ~ 3,500 euro
• condensing boiler 4,500 ~ 5,700 euro
• tank few thousand euro
• water distribution + radiators

Gas heating

• boiler 1,700 ~ 2,300 euro
• condensing boiler 2,100 ~ 5,900 euro
• water distribution + radiators
• system cost ~ 90 euro / square meter
  

Heat pump

• 10,000 ~ 12,500 euro
• 20% extra cost for radiators
  

Electric heating

• up to 100 euro per radiator installed
• ~ 1,500 euro for 4 kW storage heating installed

Sergio:

2 further considerations:

• the eco-sheet is valid for the weather in Northern Europe, where relatively low negative temperatures need to be catered for during the winter months. In Mediterranean climates, which have both cooling and heating requirements, and less extreme temperatures during the winter month, it will be hard to do better than the air-to-air heat pump.
• when choosing electricity or gas for space heating, the choice for cooking and hot water heating is likely to be electric or gas as well.
  

Dear Sergio

This is an interesting topic. In my group we have investigated this issue a few years ago and wrote a paper published in the Journal Energy and Buildings, November, 2003. Available here: doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2003.11.003 

Its not only the energy carrier, but also the conversion technology which is the decisive factor.

In my opinion neither makes sense electric resistance heating, nor gas boilers. It is just not the fuel cycle. Gas will become increasingly less available...

The solution is (after all cost-effective improvements have been made to the building envelope) to use either biomass and/or high (significantly higher than 3) COP heat pumps.

In my home I have heat pumps with a nominal COP of 4.3, meaning that the seasonal average value is probably larger than 5. Gas boilers become hopelessly wasteful by comparison.

Since gas and electricity are priced differently as energy carriers, it is plausible that consumers will set their heating systems to a higher comfort level for the lower priced energy source. After all, the economic law of demand still applies - lower price = higher demand.

Very interesting approach, Hans, it's hard to argue your statement, but I'll try to do it. I don't thing this economical model will remain the same for the future as we have to consider other advantages and disadvantages as well. Normally low price=high demand but we are also facing the global warming that has a hard word to say here. The way I see things there will be many changes in a very short time and people should comply with new norm... These changes will definitely have major implications over electrical energy as well.

Heating Service Los Angeles

Profile from energy carrier depends on use : Electrical heating is mostly used in winter periods with peaks in the morning and in the evening.So the power generation mix to be used is neither base-load nor average mix, but rather semi-base or peak power generation.

As an example, a newly installed electrical heating in France would typically use electricity generated by a mix of 67 % natural gas (combined cycle + gas turbines), 10 % oil, 13 % coal, and only 10 % nuclear.

The CO2 emissions for electrical heating will be around 600 g CO2/kWhe, which is more than twice the emissions from gas heating with a condensing boiler.

Interestingly, the national energy efficiency action plan for Denmark (p12) mentions that for low-energy buildings, the ban on electric heating will be lifted. Also the requirement to connect to district heating or natural gas systems will no longer apply in this case.

This corroborates the point of this article, that for low and ultra-low energy dwellings, the heating systems may be quite different from today's.