T
theyank
Guest
I'm in the planning stages of building a 2000 sq ft home and I am trying to decide which is the best way to keep my new home warm and dry as cheaply as possible. Here are some of my thoughts
ACTIVE METHODS
Heating Oil-
PROS: easy to use, low maintenance, low startup cost, easy to find qualified repairmen, heats a house quickly
CONS: expensive, not enviromentally sound, subject to price fluctuations and taxes
Ground heat pump-
PROS: enviromentally sound, stable, lower monthly operating costs, Could be eligble for grant money
CONS: Very high startup costs, could take more than 10 years to recoup, Most parts of system are under warranty for a short period of time, If it breaks down it could involve digging up pipes, you have to use underfloor heating (see below), need a lot of land to lay pipes, can't install near tree roots, One major problem with system could wipe out all profits
Pellet boiler
PROS: Prices more stable than oil, Could be eligble for grant money, renewable resource, probably cheaper than oil, could install pellet stove to heat main area of house
CONS: Need large storage area for pellets, must haul ashes and load pellets, must be concerned with humidity of pellets, price could rise in future due to increased demand, Efficiency of stove is questioned by some
Wind turbine
PRO: enviromentally sound, free energy, Could be eligble for grant money
CONS: Expensive, turbines can be noisy, ugly, neighbors could object, no wind means no energy, low energy output per turbine
Solar (to heat water)
PRO: enviromentally sound, free energy, little maintenance, could be eligble for grant money
CONS: Expensive,ugly,could take many years to recoup investment, not enough sun, system could develop leak which could damage house.
Solar (photo voltaic)
Pro: enviromentally sound, free energy,no maintenance,could be eligble for grant money
Cons: Too expensive, not efficent enough. These systems don't make financial sense in California where its sunny most of the time, so they don't make sense in Ireland..maybe some day
PASSIVE METHODS
Timber frame house with upgraded insulation
Pro: Low startup costs that can be recoverd quickly, House erected more quickly, High efficiency compare to cement walls, The price of the upgraded insulation and weather stripping can be recouped in a few years
Con: The exterior walls need to be deeper than the average 2x4 walls to handle more insulation, which adds to cost. Must be waterproofed correctly or could rot
Dual paned windows
PROS: Most house lose 30% of their heat through window. Good windows could really cut fuel bills, storm windows in the winter months can also help. Buying low-E, argon gas windows can pay for themselves in less than five years
CONS: Good windows can be quite expensive
DELIVERY METHODS
Radiators
PROS: Not likely to leak, they heat quickly, low maintenance, no heat loss through floors
CONS: They heat just one corner of the room, they are unsightly
Underfloor heating (pipes)
PROS: feels great under your feet, cozy, it heats the whole room at one time vs. just one corner of the room.
CONS: Poor control of heat (heats too slowly), subject to leaks and pressure losses, when it leaks it can severly damage house, Most parts of system are under warranty for a short period of time, can be noisy, much heat is lost though layers of flooring, it could warp wood floors
Underfloor heating (electric)
PROS: feels great under your feet, cozy, it heats the whole room at one time vs. just one corner of the room, no water leaks under the floor
CONS: Poor control of heat (heats too slowly), Most parts of system are under warranty for a short period of time, much heat is lost though layers of flooring, it could warp wood floors
Natural Gas
not available in my area
After listing all these pros and cons I'm leaning toward (gasp..dare I say it) heating oil/radiator and a well insulated house with good windows. I think adding a wood pellet stove would be more efficent than a standard fireplace. I'll try and keep all my big windows facing south and I will design my entry ways with an extra door to stop gust of winds from entering the house.
I really wish I could invest in a alternative energy source but I feel these systems are just not there yet. All it would take is one major problem and all the cost savings go out the window (no pun intended)
I would love to hear other people's opinions
ACTIVE METHODS
Heating Oil-
PROS: easy to use, low maintenance, low startup cost, easy to find qualified repairmen, heats a house quickly
CONS: expensive, not enviromentally sound, subject to price fluctuations and taxes
Ground heat pump-
PROS: enviromentally sound, stable, lower monthly operating costs, Could be eligble for grant money
CONS: Very high startup costs, could take more than 10 years to recoup, Most parts of system are under warranty for a short period of time, If it breaks down it could involve digging up pipes, you have to use underfloor heating (see below), need a lot of land to lay pipes, can't install near tree roots, One major problem with system could wipe out all profits
Pellet boiler
PROS: Prices more stable than oil, Could be eligble for grant money, renewable resource, probably cheaper than oil, could install pellet stove to heat main area of house
CONS: Need large storage area for pellets, must haul ashes and load pellets, must be concerned with humidity of pellets, price could rise in future due to increased demand, Efficiency of stove is questioned by some
Wind turbine
PRO: enviromentally sound, free energy, Could be eligble for grant money
CONS: Expensive, turbines can be noisy, ugly, neighbors could object, no wind means no energy, low energy output per turbine
Solar (to heat water)
PRO: enviromentally sound, free energy, little maintenance, could be eligble for grant money
CONS: Expensive,ugly,could take many years to recoup investment, not enough sun, system could develop leak which could damage house.
Solar (photo voltaic)
Pro: enviromentally sound, free energy,no maintenance,could be eligble for grant money
Cons: Too expensive, not efficent enough. These systems don't make financial sense in California where its sunny most of the time, so they don't make sense in Ireland..maybe some day
PASSIVE METHODS
Timber frame house with upgraded insulation
Pro: Low startup costs that can be recoverd quickly, House erected more quickly, High efficiency compare to cement walls, The price of the upgraded insulation and weather stripping can be recouped in a few years
Con: The exterior walls need to be deeper than the average 2x4 walls to handle more insulation, which adds to cost. Must be waterproofed correctly or could rot
Dual paned windows
PROS: Most house lose 30% of their heat through window. Good windows could really cut fuel bills, storm windows in the winter months can also help. Buying low-E, argon gas windows can pay for themselves in less than five years
CONS: Good windows can be quite expensive
DELIVERY METHODS
Radiators
PROS: Not likely to leak, they heat quickly, low maintenance, no heat loss through floors
CONS: They heat just one corner of the room, they are unsightly
Underfloor heating (pipes)
PROS: feels great under your feet, cozy, it heats the whole room at one time vs. just one corner of the room.
CONS: Poor control of heat (heats too slowly), subject to leaks and pressure losses, when it leaks it can severly damage house, Most parts of system are under warranty for a short period of time, can be noisy, much heat is lost though layers of flooring, it could warp wood floors
Underfloor heating (electric)
PROS: feels great under your feet, cozy, it heats the whole room at one time vs. just one corner of the room, no water leaks under the floor
CONS: Poor control of heat (heats too slowly), Most parts of system are under warranty for a short period of time, much heat is lost though layers of flooring, it could warp wood floors
Natural Gas
not available in my area
After listing all these pros and cons I'm leaning toward (gasp..dare I say it) heating oil/radiator and a well insulated house with good windows. I think adding a wood pellet stove would be more efficent than a standard fireplace. I'll try and keep all my big windows facing south and I will design my entry ways with an extra door to stop gust of winds from entering the house.
I really wish I could invest in a alternative energy source but I feel these systems are just not there yet. All it would take is one major problem and all the cost savings go out the window (no pun intended)
I would love to hear other people's opinions