I'm curious, if you were building in the morning how would you build it and what would you heat and ventilate it with?
To be frank,
It would depend on the location.
I would use a conventional heat source.
I would use under floor heating on the ground floor.
I would check the water supply for mineral content.
I would use thermostatic controls in all rooms bar the bathrooms.
I would "not" use a range.
I would use a HE boiler, be it oil or gas depending on the location/availibitliy.
I would use solar panels but only as a secondary source, I like my showers and hot water heat recovery would be a major factor with me.
Ventilation would follow the recommended air change norms for individual rooms.
I would make sure the walls and attic were well insulated, as heat rises and walls act as convectors, windows also convect cold as well are adding solar gain depending on the weather.
If I lived in the ass hole of no-where and I almost do, I would hate to be reliant on a call out with a young baby in a freezing cold house and having to plug in electric heaters to keep the place warm while waiting for Mr €120.00 per hour and his mileage
to replace a part that may take anywhere from 3 working days to 3 bloody months.
And believe me this is a regular occurance, ask anyone reliant on a Stanley or an Agga who's service is generally good except when you need then right here right now.
So efficiency is not just about the best enegry efficiency rating
To me, its about common sense.
Be envoirnmentally aware? yes all day long, but comfort of mind and body is equally important.
Low wattage lighting is also great, they last a long time though expensive, use bugger all juice.
Light is not measured in wattage, energy is so they do emit loads of light, my drive is lit with them on movement sensors set at 1.2 so the local fox rabbit and rat population do not have parties while I am snug in my warm house.
My place is a shade under 300m2 and I burn about 2000L of kero per anum, so Two fills in my 1300L tank and I never let it run out.
I have a stanley and "I HATE IT" but the lady of the Manor wanted one, so there is a HE oil boiler going in this year and they stanley will be for astectics only..... and the system will be sealed. (hope there are no monir weeps or my heart will be broken sorting them id LS1 does not work)
The gaff is about 18years old by the way.
So instead of ripping it apart I lined all the walls with Insulated boards while redecorating and fitted TRV's to all the rads bar the bathroom and our ensuite a plated heat exchanger was fitted to the existing HW Cyl and did away with the coil by simply by passing it.
Hopefully up grading the wife next year too...lol
Thank god there is no acorn pipe in the house that I know of.......
This post will be deleted if not edited immediately the more I think about it I might build a new one ..lol
Or maybe a tent or caravan.......
Like I said everything looks good on paper, even the wife......
Been in the office too long without a doubt...... better go home.
Keep it simple and get few of qualified opinions and draw yours from the common average concencus.