'Integrated Heating System' - is this one feasible

Quack13

We are currently looking at the type of heating system we are going to put in our house. Hoping to start n the coming weeks.

We are 'aiming' for an fairly energy efficient house (A2/A3 or so) with the usual air-tightness/HRV etc. Walls to have a u-value of 0.16, windows a U-Value of 0.8, Roof a value of 0.12.

I have been looking at various options for a heating system, with the aim to obviously install as efficient a system as possible at a reasonable price.

The following integrated system has been suggested to me by a company:
- Solar Panels
- HRV
- Solar to Air
- UFH
- Wood Pellet Stove w/Back Boiler:

Solar Panels will take for the hot water, Pellet Stove (w/Back Boiler) Hot Water and UFH (downstairs). Solar to Air will be used in conjuction with Panels to heat space. This is suggested to be be the sole heating for upstairs.

This system is relying on the fact that the house is airtight/well insulated (to specs above - A2).

Do people think the downstairs sealed stove w/back boiler would be sufficient to run UFH on the ground floor. Also do people think the Solar to Air and HRV running in conjuction would be enough to heat the first floor.

Note: it is to be a timber frame closed panel build, around 2,600ft area.

Has anyone any experience of using or observing a similar system.

Doctor_L

Hi,

I would recommend you read the CAT centre's whole house book as it covers Solar to Air and the other technologies you mentioned.

http://www.irishsilicon.com/2009/06/building-an-eco-home-read-the.html

UFH requires heat at 40 degrees and a siginificant amount of it as it uses the concrete as a heat store. A large buffer tank needs to be heated and circulated (2000 L plus) if you are going to use it with a boiler setup. It is starting to become popular with log gasifiers boilers.

Geo Thermal seems to be the most popular setup for UFH.

If you have a very energy efficient structure with good passive solar gain then your heating source may not be such an issue. A good zoned heating controls with thermostats and seperate zones for each radiator such as comeragh controls with rads might be more than adequate.

http://www.comeraghcontrols.com/

Regards

Liam

quentingargan

I question the usefulness of solar for space heating. It is a model that developed in countries like Austria. However, while we have about the same summertime energy from the sun as Austria, during the winter, ours is about half of theirs.

On a typical January day, we have 0.64 kWhrs per sq m per day, while they have 1.28. In December, we have 0.47 to their 1.04.

The trouble is that for heating your house, solar works best when you need it least, and the more well insulated your house is, the more this is the case. A well insulated house might only need heat for November to Feb. Not much use for your solar to air there I'm afraid.

As Liam said, if you build your house well, heating becomes less of an issue. However, getting an effective solar water heating system becomes important because without the heating on, your only other hot water source might be the ESB. I would over-size the solar water heating system and use a good heat dump, fitted under the eaves outside the house. Q

Quack13

Sorry I forgot to say at nighttime upstairs would get its heat from the boiler (wood pellet) by way of the water to air heat exchanger in the air flow within the Air Handling Unit.

sinnerboy

Read through this

http://constructireland.ie/Vol-4-Issue-1/Articles/Passive-Housing/The-emergence-of-the-passive-house-in-Ireland.html

If you design and build correctly - heating becomes simpler not more complex

CJhaughey

+1, keep it simple and you will have a far easier time.
IMO the company that suggested that system to you is just trying to drum up business.