Hello everyone,
I’m somewhat heat-sensitive. Until now, I have always lived in apartments that would get extremely hot in summer, despite maximizing shading during the day and ventilating strongly with rapid air exchange at night. Those were the days of my childhood spent in a basement apartment, where even in the height of summer the bedroom stayed pleasantly cool.
To get to the point: I definitely don’t want to deal with that in my own home. So, air conditioning is an important topic for me. My question is: what is the best way to maintain comfortable temperatures even in the peak of summer?
I have read that heat pumps can also provide cooling through underfloor heating, although the effect seems to be relatively mild. It’s also said that mechanical ventilation with heat recovery can be combined with cooling, but here, too, there are obviously fairly strict limitations. Finally, there is the conventional split air conditioning system, which certainly cools well but also consumes a lot of electricity. However, combined with solar panels on the roof, electricity costs should remain manageable since there is usually a surplus of electricity in summer that’s hard to use otherwise.
What would you recommend considering both cost and comfort? Maybe some combination makes sense, for example cooling with a heat pump via underfloor heating and additional cooling through mechanical ventilation with heat recovery – perhaps a moderate amount of cooling from two systems is sufficient in combination. Who has experience and can share knowledge and opinions?
Best regards,
HB1
I’m somewhat heat-sensitive. Until now, I have always lived in apartments that would get extremely hot in summer, despite maximizing shading during the day and ventilating strongly with rapid air exchange at night. Those were the days of my childhood spent in a basement apartment, where even in the height of summer the bedroom stayed pleasantly cool.
To get to the point: I definitely don’t want to deal with that in my own home. So, air conditioning is an important topic for me. My question is: what is the best way to maintain comfortable temperatures even in the peak of summer?
I have read that heat pumps can also provide cooling through underfloor heating, although the effect seems to be relatively mild. It’s also said that mechanical ventilation with heat recovery can be combined with cooling, but here, too, there are obviously fairly strict limitations. Finally, there is the conventional split air conditioning system, which certainly cools well but also consumes a lot of electricity. However, combined with solar panels on the roof, electricity costs should remain manageable since there is usually a surplus of electricity in summer that’s hard to use otherwise.
What would you recommend considering both cost and comfort? Maybe some combination makes sense, for example cooling with a heat pump via underfloor heating and additional cooling through mechanical ventilation with heat recovery – perhaps a moderate amount of cooling from two systems is sufficient in combination. Who has experience and can share knowledge and opinions?
Best regards,
HB1
There is more than just sitting in the dark or sitting in a glass house.
This reminds me of an anecdote told by an acquaintance who was working on behalf of McKinsey in Texas. Outside, it was scorching hot, the client’s headquarters were air-conditioned to freezing temperatures, and then in the executive conference room, the big fireplace was lit.
It’s possible, but it completely ignores common sense.
We are planning to use geothermal energy, which allows for passive cooling. I hope to manage the cold air pools that may form near the ground by circulating air through the controlled mechanical ventilation system. Otherwise, of course, shading and masonry (sand-lime brick with mineral wool insulation – adding more mass is hardly possible) will help to keep the heat out for a long time. I believe this is the correct approach: retaining cold/heat indoors instead of actively heating or cooling.
This reminds me of an anecdote told by an acquaintance who was working on behalf of McKinsey in Texas. Outside, it was scorching hot, the client’s headquarters were air-conditioned to freezing temperatures, and then in the executive conference room, the big fireplace was lit.
It’s possible, but it completely ignores common sense.
We are planning to use geothermal energy, which allows for passive cooling. I hope to manage the cold air pools that may form near the ground by circulating air through the controlled mechanical ventilation system. Otherwise, of course, shading and masonry (sand-lime brick with mineral wool insulation – adding more mass is hardly possible) will help to keep the heat out for a long time. I believe this is the correct approach: retaining cold/heat indoors instead of actively heating or cooling.
H
Hausbauer110 Jul 2017 19:59Boergi schrieb:
Exactly, a compact unit with an integrated hot water tank.
I deliberately wanted to keep the system as simple as possible; I didn’t install a buffer tank or mixing valves, and no hydraulic balancing either. However, the preparations for these are in place in the rooms and distribution manifolds.
The heat pump cost around €8,000 plus installation, the deep borehole including all piping, shaft, and expert assessments was about €13,000. Unfortunately, prices are quite high in our area. The running costs are only for electricity consumption, which in recent years has ranged between 3,100 and 3,500 kWh annually for 185 m² (2,000 sq ft) of heated living space including hot water. We also have a small photovoltaic system on the roof that covers part of this consumption.
The mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery has its own ground loop heat exchanger, consisting of a 100-meter (330 feet) brine pipe installed around the house as part of the basement backfilling, a pump, and a heat exchanger.
Acquisition cost about €2,000
Consumption of the ground heat exchanger: 242 kWh per year
Consumption of the mechanical ventilation: 570 kWh
The supply air temperature at an outside temperature of 30°C (86°F) is approximately 20°C (68°F).
If you are already planning a heat pump anyway, you can test this without a major financial risk. If the cooling capacity isn’t sufficient, you can still add an air conditioning system later.Interesting. I could see something like that working for me as well. Perhaps using solar thermal collectors or groundwater instead of the probe, depending on the ground conditions.
Have you done any calculations comparing this? How much electricity and heating costs do you save per year? What are the actual annual costs now? And how does that compare to the initial investment?
H
Hausbauer110 Jul 2017 20:03merlin83 schrieb:
I would simply choose the method where the installer guarantees that the room will cool down to a comfortable 22°C (72°F) within one hour, even when both indoor and outdoor temperatures are 40°C (104°F).That seems somewhat oversized to me as well. It’s better not to let the indoor temperature get that high in the first place, so start the air conditioning early when the first hot days arrive. Then you don’t have to cool down from a scorching 40°C (104°F) by nearly 20 degrees.
If it doesn’t have to be Mitsubishi, there are much more affordable options...
I totally agree with you...
matte1987 schrieb:
I’m fed up with lack of sleep during the summer...
I totally agree with you...