ᐅ What is the proper approach to selecting building services systems?

Hello everyone,

we are planning to build a new house next year using 35cm (14 inches) Neopor insulated concrete form blocks.
I am just starting to look into the heating system. It’s hard to know where to begin.

From our current perspective, the important points are:

- Ventilation system
- The heating system must also be able to cool
- Manageable costs (who wouldn’t want that…)

In which order do you think I should approach these topics?

Many thanks and best regards,
Alexander

Right from scratch? Even without expertise, you usually have at least a rough idea of the direction you want to take.

Separate the three functions and exclude what doesn’t work or isn’t desired.

For example, heating:
1. Is natural gas available, or is there provision for an external tank?
2. Are you okay with an outdoor air-source heat pump unit?
3. Is the heating load low enough that an exhaust air heat pump or an air-to-air heat pump would be sufficient?
4. Is the priority lower installation cost or lower operating costs?
5. Is there an option for deep geothermal drilling?
6. Is a horizontal ground collector possible?
7. What is important to you regarding the heating system?
8. Will you contract separately, or does the builder already limit your options?

That will give you a clearer direction, and then you can consider whether cooling and ventilation can be integrated into the system or not. Then you can proceed.

alexisan schrieb:
- the heating system must also be able to cool

When choosing stone, you look for cost-saving and DIY potential, but then for the heating system you go for a technology that involves more complexity and really separates the wheat from the chaff. Question for the philosophers: is this still ambivalence or already dialectics?

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Good morning,

In our current house, we have underfloor heating and an air source heat pump. We are generally very satisfied with this setup. Unfortunately, there is no ventilation system, so the bedroom can feel a bit stuffy in the mornings. We definitely want to change that this time.

Deep geothermal drilling is allowed here under certain conditions. Ground collectors are also a possibility, as the plot is large enough. However, we might consider building again further south for our son.

The flat roof offers 60 m² (645 sq ft) of space for a photovoltaic system. Home battery storage units are, I think, still too expensive and may soon become technologically outdated.

So, these are the basic parameters. Based on my current understanding, I would plan on the following:

- Air source heat pump (inside the house, positioned around a corner) – must also have cooling capability
- Supported by the photovoltaic system
- Underfloor heating
- Ventilation system (if available, preferably all combined)

Alternatively, maybe there are better solutions available nowadays.

Thank you very much, Alex

That is a very good combination, and there is nothing better. However, I would reconsider the cooling aspect; it is better to install an air conditioning unit if necessary. It is more affordable and significantly more effective.

Hello, yes, I thought so too... cooling probably won’t be very efficient that way... better to have units installed in the rooms where they might actually be needed...

Thanks and regards, Alex