Heating for New House

trish8513

Hi

I have just got planning to Build a 2 Storey 2,500 sq foot house.
I am wondering about heating the house , some are saying under floor heating , other air and water system and geotermial heating.

Can anyone advise me on which one

Thanks
Trish

KCross

trish8513 wrote: »

Hi

I have just got planning to Build a 2 Storey 2,500 sq foot house.
I am wondering about heating the house , some are saying under floor heating , other air and water system and geotermial heating.

Can anyone advise me on which one

Thanks
Trish

"Air to Water" and Geothermal are heat pump systems that generate heat and release it to the house via underfloor or rads.

Underfloor heating is how the heat is delivered. Underfloor heating doesn't generate heat itself.... think of it like the rads... they don't generate heat, they just give off the heat... the underfloor is the same thing just that its under the floor!


If you go with a heat pump system in a new build you should use underfloor heating, not rads.


However, you should focus first on getting the house as well insulated as you can and then get your heat demand calculated and then pick a heating system once you know what your heat demand is. Get plenty of quotes, get referrals for systems they have installed and go see it in action and talk to real owners and see real running costs... pay very little attention to the sales leaflet!

You should also start looking at Heat Recovery Systems. If you have an airtight house you will need a way to get fresh air in without heat loss.

Ray Donovan

KCross wrote: »

"Air to Water" and Geothermal are heat pump systems that generate heat and release it to the house via underfloor or rads.

Underfloor heating is how the heat is delivered. Underfloor heating doesn't generate heat itself.... think of it like the rads... they don't generate heat, they just give off the heat... the underfloor is the same thing just that its under the floor!


If you go with a heat pump system in a new build you should use underfloor heating, not rads.


However, you should focus first on getting the house as well insulated as you can and then get your heat demand calculated and then pick a heating system once you know what your heat demand is. Get plenty of quotes, get referrals for systems they have installed and go see it in action and talk to real owners and see real running costs... pay very little attention to the sales leaflet!

You should also start looking at Heat Recovery Systems. If you have an airtight house you will need a way to get fresh air in without heat loss.

I second everything said above. Wise words.

mike_2009

You'll have two heating requirements - space heating and water heating. You may split these up and pair them with an appropriate heat source / exchanger or find a single unit that can accommodate both.
As already recommended, understand your heat requirement (space) and try to work out the hot water requirement, volume @ temp required to get an idea of your peak / avg loads. You don't want to be heating up a 500L tank of water if your usage is spread over the day and 200L would suffice. Time people's showers and get an experienced heating engineer/expert to give you options.
Also visit a few tradeshows - like self build in Citywest/Cork later this year if you've time but don't get dazzled by the bling! Stick to mainstream, well established companies / suppliers who know their stuff and will let you talk to some of their customers for their experiences.
And ask questions....lots of them!!
Best of luck!

AugieMarch

Sorry for jumping on board here with another question, but with respect to getting the heat demand calculated - who would one typically use to do such a thing? We're currently designing a house for ourselves (no architect, just designing layout and working with architectural technologist to work that up into drawings, and have an engineer to sign off on drawings and act as certifier), and I'm trying to weigh up all the options for heating and renewables, and I'm finding it hard to compare the various possibilities and how they would work together.

Would the architectural technologist, working with a BIM package, be able to determine the heat demand via that software? Or is this something our engineer could do? Or do we need to get someone else involved (presumably there are various companies providing some kind of consultancy services in relation to renewables, heating, etc.)?

Mac0783

I second this question, we're in the same position and all the different options available are mind boggling.

mike_2009

There are parties out there who can advise on heating choices & renewables and help you out on this. I've not use any myself however. There are a lot of options and going to exhibitions can often leave you with more ideas / choices / possibilities than ever!!

The starting point of the design is the initial BER you'll need for planning permission. This should state the heating load for the house. Then work out the hot water demand and you're heading in the right direction. Your options are all electric, optionally with natural gas (if you're on the mains), a gas tank if not, or some form of oil/wood/coal etc. Yes, the options are varied far and wide. I'd recommend the green door open day at the end of September and NZEB open doors events later in the year to talk to home owners themselves for ideas and what worked for them. The self build and passive house magazines often have ads for consultants / companies that specialize in this area.

It's certainly possible to go all electric these days but you want a very comfy house (well insulated and air tight) and then a air source heat pump would work well. You'll need to meet Part L which is covered by a small number of solar thermal panels (they run water through them) or a larger number of solar PV. Part L is under revision so this may change.

Getting an integrated design where the different heating elements complement each other is ideal but pay close attention to real world examples to avoid being sold a broom when you needed a shovel!!

I can put you in touch with someone I trust if you're stuck (PM me). Search the boards here and also the UK site www.buildhub.org.uk for ideas, both will help and there's lots of knowledgeable people who will offer advice. I visit both forums for ideas. Best of luck!

Note: You can download the BER software and play with it yourself but you'll need a registered BER assessor to create the official provisional BER for you.

Links to events:
http://www.greendoorireland.ie
https://nzeb-opendoors.ie