Deciding which heating system is suitable for the conservatory is quite difficult. All 4 common systems have both their advantages and disadvantages.
If you are in the middle of the planning phase for your new home, you will at some point be faced with the question of whether a conservatory makes sense or not. It would be foolish to give a blanket yes or no answer here. On the one hand it depends on your personal wishes and on the other hand it depends on your wallet.
Once the decision has been made in favor of the conservatory, the questions continue. Which glazing does it have to be, how do I want to use the idyllic gem, which plants should be accommodated and does my conservatory need heating? So you shouldn't start planning without professional advice, but I do have a few tips for you today when it comes to heating.
Which conservatory do you prefer?
You can now choose from numerous heating variants for conservatories. Which one you ultimately choose depends primarily on the use. As part of the energy saving ordinance, there are regulations that stipulate which energy quality the conservatory must have - both the construction and the use play an important role here. A distinction is therefore made between the following conservatory types:
❏ Cold conservatory
A cold conservatory is a conservatory that is mainly used to protect plants from frost, but does not exceed an internal temperature of 12 °C. The same applies to conservatories that are used as living space for less than four months a year.
❏ Small winter garden
A small conservatory has a usable area of up to 15 m² and also does not need heating - there are no regulations for its energetic quality.
❏ Conservatory
The residential conservatory is a conservatory that has a usable area of more than 50 m². It is used all year round and is usually integrated into the building envelope. All the rules of the Energy Saving Ordinance apply to such a conservatory - these must also be fulfilled for the rest of the house.
You can find detailed information on the EnEVat the Bundesverband Wintergarten e.V.
Regulations for the heating system in the winter garden
Within the EnEV, all requirements for a conservatory heating system are regulated. Usually the owners decide to simply heat the conservatory with the existing heating system of the house. In this case, however, it must be noted that the conservatory requires completely different heating values. It is not made of masonry, but of a construction that is mainly made of glass. For this reason, peak demand values arise, which only allow the right temperatures with a correct heating design. These values usually only apply to a fraction of the total usage time in a year, but the heating system must be able to absorb them. The best thing to do is talk to your heating engineer about what is actually feasible and what the costs will be. Also consider that an additional room is included in your annual heating costs. A not insignificant aspect, given the constantly rising prices. That's why I switched to Yello Gas 2 years ago and am still happy to this day. In addition to integration into the existing heating system, you also have various other systems to choose from.
The 4 most common heating systems under the microscope
➩ Heated Glasses
If you use modern energy-saving glass in your conservatory, you keep the heat of the sun in the room effectively - but this is not enough for really cold days, as a comfortable temperature of around 20 °C is not so easy to achieve. So that the conservatory can be used all year round, not only good insulation is required, but also heated glass panes. The heating effect here comes directly from the insulating glass, which has a heat-insulating function. You then no longer need an additional radiator. The glass itself is always made of safety glass and is therefore unbreakable. In addition, heated glasses can be combined quite well with extras such as additional sun protection and a self-cleaning function. Heated glasses with blinds located in the space between the panes are very practical: They are dust and dirt-proof and absolutely maintenance-free.
➩ Heat pump heating
The heat pump heating is a heating variant that is based on the principle of the air heat pump (see Diamant conservatory heating). This works as follows: An outdoor and indoor unit exchange cold and heat. In doing so, energy is transported from a low level to a higher one.Depending on the heating requirement, these heat pumps can now, in contrast to normal heating pumps in the house, cool or heat, and they also function as air purifiers or dehumidifiers. Because heat pumps are always equipped with a fan, they can be used practically anywhere in the conservatory. Their big advantage is the speed of reaction and the uncomplicated electronic operation.
➩ Skirting Wall Heater
The heating strip wall heating is also very advantageous. This is a radiant heat heater, which ensures a constant distribution of heat in the conservatory. To do this, the heating strip is attached directly to the wall or to the glass surfaces. In this way, the cold air from the outside can be optimally repelled. As a rule, skirting heaters are made of a finned tube made of copper, which is also covered with a metal or wood cover. This outer casing is available in a wide variety of designs and thus offers the possibility of integrating the heater into the conservatory as an unobtrusive decorative element. Because this form of heating emits quite high levels of radiation, it can react immediately even if the weather changes quickly without a long lead time. This type of heating can also be combined with underfloor heating.
➩ Heat Mats
Anyone who is thinking about retrofitting a heater in the conservatory is best served with heating mats. The great advantage of this form of heating is that it can be installed anywhere. This creates flexibility, especially when all other heating systems are out of the question for you. Elaborate caulking work, such as that required for laying pipes, is no longer necessary when using heating mats. The only drawback with this variant is the energy costs, because heating mats are only operated with electricity.
Reading tip: How to save energy in the conservatory