Stiebel Eltron Review: German Made, Solar Ready Heat Pump
Stiebel Eltron heat pumps are an excellent economical, and environmentally friendly way to start heating the air and water in your home. It is one of Australia’s most popular heat pumps today, and for a good reason.
Today I am bringing you a Stiebel Eltron review to see how good these heat pumps are. As a leader in the heat pump field, I want to break down what is so good about Stiebel Eltron heat pumps and why they could be the perfect solution for your home.
I recently reviewed the iStore heat pump and liked it a lot, so it will be interesting to see what Stiebel has to offer. Heat pumps are an excellent way to become energy independent from the grid. You can read the full iStore review here.
To recap, if you don’t know already, a heat pump takes power and converts it into heat energy. Similar to a solar battery, it is a great alternative! Heat pumps not only heat your water but tap into your solar PV system to convert sorted energy into heat.
So, enough of me talking. Instead, let’s get into this Stiebel Eltron review and see how good they really are.
Table Of Contents
Stiebel Eltron Heat Pumps Are German Engineered And Manufactured Around The World
Engineered by leaders in the market, German-manufactured products are renowned for their reliability and efficiency. Stiebel Eltron heat pumps have a distinct design and impressive capabilities living up to its brand’s reputation.
They have locations with production plants worldwide, ranging from Europe to China and the Americas. However, due to shipping, the ones we see in Australia are from Thailand, China or Germany. Given that the bulk of production factories are actually in Germany.
Stiebel seems to have excellent control and manufacturing standards, so you can expect the same quality in any location where it’s made.
What is excellent about Stiebel is that it is not only designed and manufactured in Germany, giving it a robust and reliable build. They have also designed the Stiebel Eltron heat pumps specifically for Australian households.
The heat pumps have a temperature range down to minus 5C degrees. They are also suitable for hard and soft water areas. In my opinion, this is going the extra mile to adapt to all climates of the countries it supplies.
What I Like About It...
What I love about the Stiebel Eltron the most is the attention to detail to adapt the heat pump specifically for an Australian home. It shows just how important becoming energy efficient is in Australia and how European brands are starting to notice that too.
My favourite little touches are the auto defrost setting aiming to make the heat pump maintenance-free with a current-pressed anode. I also really like the temperature range going down to negative 5. These small additions are what really go the extra mile.
Looking at the specification, I like how there are two size options to adapt to different households. The two sizes allow houses between 2-6 people to have hot water all year. On top of that, it is a single-piece design making it easy to install in any home. It can also be easily incorporated into a home’s solar PV system.
Specifications:
Voltage: 240V
Phases: 1/N/PE
Application range: -5 to +42C
Active defrost function
Can operate with Solar PV system
Quiet operation
You Can Connect Your Solar PV System To Power The Stiebel Eltron Heat Pump
Connecting your Stiebel Eltron heat pump to your solar systems is super easy. It means you can save money not only on your heating but also on your solar system.
By powering your heat pump with solar, you are maximising the savings you can get from your solar system by using all of the energy instead of letting it get wasted or unused. I suppose this is a fantastic option for those who have solar export limits. Rather than waste your energy, use it as heat instead.
Secondly, you are maximising the savings from your heat pump because you are powering it with free energy. So it is a double win. You are utilising the excess energy from your solar system and heating your water.
This means the return on investment for heat pumps is extremely fast and worthwhile. You can free up cash flow and generate massive savings later on down the line.
It’s estimated you can save up to $950 per year on your energy bills by installing a heat pump alone, so assuming you are powering this with solar PV you may be able to save even more. This is super efficient as you are maximising savings from both solar and heat pumps.
You Can Get a Flexible Design With The Stiebel Eltron Heat Pump
I mentioned early that the single-piece design of the Stiebel Eltron heat pump makes it so easy to be installed in any household. Well, it can also be installed both indoors and outdoors, making it even more flexible.
It allows you to be flexible and gives you more freedom than other heat pumps which may not allow this. Also, it makes it easier to connect to your switchboard and connect to solar PV without long and frustrating cable runs.
At the end of the day, the smaller the cable runs the better the system will be because less energy will escape over or get used to transfer the energy. Overall, there isn’t much in it but it does make a more efficient system (by a small amount).
Not only this but a more flexible design is good for homeowners who might lack space or are stuck with some unique areas which may not allow much room for heat pumps. This can help overcome a majority of issues allowing most homeowners to install and reap the benefits of the Stiebel Eltron heat pump.
Another great feature of the Stiebel Eltron heat pump is really thinking about every situation. I love that Sitebel has the consumer in mind when designing its products.
Stiebel Eltron Comes With a Defrost Option For Those Who Might Get Caught With Colder Conditions
The WWK 222/302 hot water heat pumps have a defrost function. This switches on when the frost monitor detects a frost build-up at the evaporator. When the frost is detected, it will turn the fan off but keep the compressor running.
Hot vapour is directed to the evaporator, and the condenser is shut off. This hot gas will begin to defrost the evaporator. Pretty cool, right. I suppose the biggest benefits of having this is to maintain the long term performance of the heat pump.
Ice can commonly build up on the heat pump evaporator and it happens with a majority of makes and models therefore having this feature is a massive benefit to keeping your heat pump optimised in the colder months.
This feature again highlights the attention to detail we have seen throughout this Stibel Eltron review. It’s a great example of why they offer such high warranties and of course high performance. Without a defroster you may be left with a heat pump that keeps freezing and stops working in the colder months.
These Heat Pumps Have Been Around From Stiebel Since 1976
It is safe to say that Stibel Eltron is here to stay. They have also been at the forefront of the heat pump industry advancement. Around since 1976, they have been developing heat pump technology for years, and it shows. It is a trustworthy brand to invest in compared to other heat pumps.
Their warranty and bankability are also more trustworthy. You can see that as they are not just popping up to cash in on the heat pump boom. They are investing money to advance this technology and design world-leading heat pump technology.
Not only this but they have had 46 years or more to keep perfecting their heat pumps. I don’t have the information, but I could imagine that this could be above 10 generations in design, production and manufacturing meaning they strive to keep getting better and better.
It is evident in their products, thinking about every last little detail. It has paid off, as Stiebel is now one of the most popular heat pumps in Australia due to this precision and detail.
You Can Claim Up To $2000 In Heat Pump Hot Water Rebates With The Stiebel Eltron Heat Pump
Good news! You can get $1000+ in small-scale technology certificates (STCs) from federal government renewable energy rebates. This depends on the size of your heat pump and the clean energy it saves.
Additionally, if you live in Victoria, you can claim $1000 off the heat pump cost. So it is a no-brainer, really. These heat pump hot water rebates are amazing in value and help homeowners take advantage of yet again more savings and more ROI.
Overall, you may be eligible to claim up to $2000+ in rebates with the Solar Victoria and STC’s combined. This is a significant amount of free cash you can spend on generating yourself extra savings each month.
This is a significant saving that will not last forever. I can imagine it will end when the Solar Homes Program finishes. Each year it will reduce in value, similar to the solar battery rebate. So get in there quick, especially since the popularity of heat pumps is rising significantly.
I’ve explained this in detail around the cost of solar batteries and how rebates are dropping so fast. It’s best to consider taking advantage of the rebates now because they drop in value.
How Does The Stiebel Heat Pump Compare To Others?
Compared to other heat pumps, Stiebel Eltron is favourable.
I’d say it is at the top end of the industry in terms of heat pumps. It is undoubtedly very, very popular across Australia right now. Its biggest competition is iStore, which is extremely efficient and has been around for a while.
When compared to other heat pumps in the industry, these two come out at the top in terms of warranty, performance and price. I mean, you only have to look at the detail that has gone into the Stiebel heat pump to see why it is popular in Australia.
Stiebel Eltron Review
Price 10/10
It has a great return on investment, especially when linked with your PV solar system and taking advantage of the hot water pump rebate! In addition, it has a competitive cost similar to other heat pumps in the market. Considering the design and European manufacturing, Stiebel Eltron is quite affordable, I would say.
Warranty 10/10
So the Stiebel warranty is a bit different. It has a different warranty on each part of the system. The cylinder and condenser are 5 years, and the rest are 2 years. A unique way to do it, but as the company is so reliable, you are overall in good hands.
Efficiency 10/10
The large tank option allows bigger households to have heated water 365 days a year. It is easy to use and can be installed easily in households in Australia. It works in extreme weather conditions and has a maintenance-free design to allow for a hands-off approach.
Performance 10/10
It will definitely save you money on your bills, especially when linked to your PV solar system. Its coefficient of performance score compared to others could be better. However, it increases its efficiency when combined with a PV solar system. Overall, it is not bad and will save you money.
Conclusion
So, there is my Stiebel Eltron review.
If you are looking for a super high-quality, well-designed, environmentally friendly heat pump, Stiebel is for you. The global presence of Stiebel has shifted the Australian audience from locally produced products to opening its eyes to German manufacturers.
It is up there as one of the best in the industry, and it is competitively placed. The attention to detail and thorough effort put into Stiebel heat pumps make them so popular in Australia.
If you have any questions, contact one of our experts. As always, leave any comments down below 😁
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Written By:
Luke Cove
Managing Director
Lightning Solar & Electrical
