ᐅ New Single-Family Home Construction Without a Basement – Essential Tips and Recommendations
Created on: 11 Jun 2019 11:58
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franklin20F
franklin2011 Jun 2019 11:58Hello everyone,
we are planning to build a single-family house and are becoming increasingly unsure about what is necessary and what should ideally be implemented.
We want to build a single-family house without a basement, so the living area should be around 140m² (1506 sq ft), as a study room will also be set up on the ground floor. We are interested in a brine-to-water geothermal heat pump system. Additionally, we want a ventilation system, a rainwater collection tank, and photovoltaic panels for electricity.
However, every supplier says something different.
Therefore, my questions:
Prefab/solid construction? Solid construction offers better sound insulation and a higher-quality house.
Which heating system? Geothermal? Air-source heat pump? Important here is also the electricity cost. We want low running costs.
Is a ventilation system necessary? Central/decentralized? Is ventilating through windows sufficient?
Photovoltaic panels? Is it worth it? Probably only with storage?
If you have questions or need more information, please ask. If this belongs in a different subforum, feel free to move it.
If there is already a thread with tips for new builds, please link it and I will check it out.
we are planning to build a single-family house and are becoming increasingly unsure about what is necessary and what should ideally be implemented.
We want to build a single-family house without a basement, so the living area should be around 140m² (1506 sq ft), as a study room will also be set up on the ground floor. We are interested in a brine-to-water geothermal heat pump system. Additionally, we want a ventilation system, a rainwater collection tank, and photovoltaic panels for electricity.
However, every supplier says something different.
Therefore, my questions:
Prefab/solid construction? Solid construction offers better sound insulation and a higher-quality house.
Which heating system? Geothermal? Air-source heat pump? Important here is also the electricity cost. We want low running costs.
Is a ventilation system necessary? Central/decentralized? Is ventilating through windows sufficient?
Photovoltaic panels? Is it worth it? Probably only with storage?
If you have questions or need more information, please ask. If this belongs in a different subforum, feel free to move it.
If there is already a thread with tips for new builds, please link it and I will check it out.
G
Grobmutant11 Jun 2019 13:14Hello,
these are quite general questions, which often can only be answered with "it depends":
That probably depends more on the manufacturer and the quality of the build.
It is not strictly necessary but rather a luxury or comfort feature. You can also just ventilate by opening windows, if you manage to do this several times a day in all rooms. If we are hopefully building soon, I would choose a central controlled ventilation system, as for me the comfort is worth the price.
Photovoltaics are generally worthwhile, but not with storage. Storage systems are still too expensive at the moment, so they rarely pay off.
The prices for panels, on the other hand, are currently quite low, so the system usually pays for itself within 7 to 10 years. Of course, this depends on the initial cost and your solar exposure (roof orientation, roof pitch, shading, etc.).
Short answer:
Geothermal: Higher upfront costs, but usually lower electricity costs.
Air-source heat pump: Lower upfront costs, but may require electrical backup heating at very low temperatures.
these are quite general questions, which often can only be answered with "it depends":
Prefabricated house / solid construction? Solid construction offers better sound insulation and a higher-quality house.
That probably depends more on the manufacturer and the quality of the build.
Is a ventilation system necessary? Centralized / decentralized? Is ventilation through windows enough?
It is not strictly necessary but rather a luxury or comfort feature. You can also just ventilate by opening windows, if you manage to do this several times a day in all rooms. If we are hopefully building soon, I would choose a central controlled ventilation system, as for me the comfort is worth the price.
Photovoltaics? Is it worth it? Probably only with a storage battery?
Photovoltaics are generally worthwhile, but not with storage. Storage systems are still too expensive at the moment, so they rarely pay off.
The prices for panels, on the other hand, are currently quite low, so the system usually pays for itself within 7 to 10 years. Of course, this depends on the initial cost and your solar exposure (roof orientation, roof pitch, shading, etc.).
Which heating system? Geothermal? Air-source heat pump?
Short answer:
Geothermal: Higher upfront costs, but usually lower electricity costs.
Air-source heat pump: Lower upfront costs, but may require electrical backup heating at very low temperatures.
F
franklin2011 Jun 2019 13:42Thank you for the answers.
What does that comfort mean to you? Not having to ventilate all the time and also saving energy/heating costs through heat recovery?
Our roof should then face south without much shading. Does that mean we should only consume the electricity we produce at the moment or feed surplus electricity into the grid and receive compensation for it?
Grobmutant schrieb:
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery: It is not strictly necessary, more a matter of luxury/comfort. You can also ventilate just by opening windows if you manage to do this several times a day in all rooms. If we hopefully build soon, I would choose a central mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery because I consider the comfort worth the cost.
What does that comfort mean to you? Not having to ventilate all the time and also saving energy/heating costs through heat recovery?
Grobmutant schrieb:
Photovoltaic systems usually pay off, but not with battery storage. Currently, storage prices are still too high, so they will never pay off.
In contrast, the prices for the panels are currently quite low, so the system usually pays off in 7 to 10 years. Of course, this depends on the purchase price and your solar exposure (roof orientation, roof pitch, shading, etc.).
Our roof should then face south without much shading. Does that mean we should only consume the electricity we produce at the moment or feed surplus electricity into the grid and receive compensation for it?
franklin20 schrieb:
What would that comfort mean for you? Not having to ventilate all the time and also saving energy/heating costsI think that new houses are built so airtight nowadays that some kind of ventilation system is definitely necessary. Simply opening windows for ventilation is not enough. In new builds, a central mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system is usually installed; decentralized systems are more for retrofitting and, in new construction, I believe they have more disadvantages than advantages. I no longer want to live without a mechanical ventilation system. You always have fresh air, which is pollen-free thanks to the filters. Strong cooking odors disappear overnight. Humidity can also be better controlled. Additionally, you can save energy through a heat exchanger (I hope that’s the right term, I’m not completely sure). Regarding the heating source: that depends on many factors, for example, whether geothermal energy is allowed or space is available where you live, what heating load the house requires, and so on...
First, secure a plot of land. Secondly, having a specific location allows you to look for a builder nearby; and most importantly, the land itself and its applicable zoning or development plan significantly influence the design possibilities of the house.
Then build what the contractor has experience with, as this reduces the risk of execution errors. This applies not only to the building materials he is most familiar with, but also regarding heating and climate control systems—you shouldn’t let him explore unfamiliar territory. So, choose only among options he is confident in.
Building with traditional masonry is not objectively necessary—yet in practice it can be, especially if your financier associates “prefabricated homes” with cheaply made box-like structures.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Then build what the contractor has experience with, as this reduces the risk of execution errors. This applies not only to the building materials he is most familiar with, but also regarding heating and climate control systems—you shouldn’t let him explore unfamiliar territory. So, choose only among options he is confident in.
Building with traditional masonry is not objectively necessary—yet in practice it can be, especially if your financier associates “prefabricated homes” with cheaply made box-like structures.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
G
Grobmutant11 Jun 2019 14:38franklin20 schrieb:
Does this mean you only use the electricity currently being produced, or otherwise feed it into the grid and receive compensation for it? Exactly. Feeding electricity into the grid is (currently) the main source of profit. Self-consumption is then an additional bonus. High self-consumption would be ideal, but it’s not always feasible because most people are not at home during the day when the sun is shining, and therefore cannot use the electricity being generated.
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