ᐅ Single-Family Home in Solid Construction – How to Manage Climate Control, Heat Pumps, and Underfloor Heating?
Created on: 19 Jun 2012 15:03
D
danmuc82
Hello everyone,
I am currently planning the construction of a single-family house. Several points are still unclear, including whether to go for a prefabricated or solid construction, and related energy standards such as KfW 40/55/70. I have not yet decided on the heating technology either; oil and gas are out of the question. The remaining options are air-to-water, ground-to-water, earth collector-to-water, as well as air-to-air heat pumps, also known as comfort heating or similar names.
A very important aspect for me is maintaining a comfortable temperature in summer as well. I understand that shading and ventilation (controlled ventilation systems will definitely be installed) can help a lot. However, that will not be enough for me. I would still like to have 20–22°C (68–72°F) inside when it is 35°C (95°F) outside—regardless of whether this is practical or not. While there is plenty of information on different heating systems, I can hardly find anything on cooling.
Cooling via heat pumps combined with underfloor heating seems reasonable in terms of cost and energy, but it doesn’t have much effect. I have found almost no information on chilled ceilings and their costs in single-family houses; they appear to be used mainly in commercial buildings. Traditional split air conditioning units (including multi-split systems) are obviously an option, but they are noisy and consume a lot of energy—and if possible, I would like to avoid having the units mounted in the rooms (though I prefer that to high indoor temperatures, so this is a last-resort solution). Recently, I read about systems where the heat exchangers inside the rooms are not connected to an external split inverter but to the heat pump. There are also ventilation heating systems that function like central air conditioners in summer but often have mediocre efficiency during winter.
In short: I am quite confused. Does anyone here have experience with cooling technologies and could give me advice on a cost-effective and ideally energy-efficient way to actively cool my home in summer?
Many thanks and best regards,
Daniel
I am currently planning the construction of a single-family house. Several points are still unclear, including whether to go for a prefabricated or solid construction, and related energy standards such as KfW 40/55/70. I have not yet decided on the heating technology either; oil and gas are out of the question. The remaining options are air-to-water, ground-to-water, earth collector-to-water, as well as air-to-air heat pumps, also known as comfort heating or similar names.
A very important aspect for me is maintaining a comfortable temperature in summer as well. I understand that shading and ventilation (controlled ventilation systems will definitely be installed) can help a lot. However, that will not be enough for me. I would still like to have 20–22°C (68–72°F) inside when it is 35°C (95°F) outside—regardless of whether this is practical or not. While there is plenty of information on different heating systems, I can hardly find anything on cooling.
Cooling via heat pumps combined with underfloor heating seems reasonable in terms of cost and energy, but it doesn’t have much effect. I have found almost no information on chilled ceilings and their costs in single-family houses; they appear to be used mainly in commercial buildings. Traditional split air conditioning units (including multi-split systems) are obviously an option, but they are noisy and consume a lot of energy—and if possible, I would like to avoid having the units mounted in the rooms (though I prefer that to high indoor temperatures, so this is a last-resort solution). Recently, I read about systems where the heat exchangers inside the rooms are not connected to an external split inverter but to the heat pump. There are also ventilation heating systems that function like central air conditioners in summer but often have mediocre efficiency during winter.
In short: I am quite confused. Does anyone here have experience with cooling technologies and could give me advice on a cost-effective and ideally energy-efficient way to actively cool my home in summer?
Many thanks and best regards,
Daniel
I assume you are referring to proper insulation combined with shading so that indoor temperatures in summer do not closely follow outdoor temperatures but rise more slowly.
This works well as long as temperatures drop significantly at night, allowing cool air to enter the house and outer walls to cool down. And of course, as long as windows and doors remain closed and no sunlight gets inside... once the heat is inside, without active cooling it can only be removed if temperatures drop sufficiently at night.
However, when experiencing a real summer heatwave, where temperatures don’t fall below 22°C (72°F) even at night, it becomes increasingly difficult to get cool air anywhere—whether through active cooling with an air conditioner or by using earth tubes where the air is a few degrees cooler.
I’m currently considering cooling options for summer because I don’t sleep well in high temperatures. I tend to sweat easily and feel comfortable wearing just a T-shirt even at 15°C (59°F).
Good insulation and external shading are already planned, but I’m wondering if it makes sense to invest in additional cooling devices.
A controlled ventilation system is also planned. There are several options to make the summer indoor climate more comfortable:
- Controlled ventilation with humidity control, since dry air feels more comfortable at higher temperatures than humid air.
- Controlled ventilation with an earth heat exchanger, which provides air a few degrees cooler without active cooling. The question is how much this can actually lower indoor temperatures—perhaps 1-2°C (2-4°F)—so it’s not suitable for truly cool rooms.
- Controlled ventilation with an additional cooling unit similar to an air conditioner. I have no experience with how effective this cooling is.
- Air conditioning for specific rooms, such as bedrooms, to cool them properly in the evening. The downside is that this only cools one room and consumes relatively high energy, plus it may not be visually appealing.
This works well as long as temperatures drop significantly at night, allowing cool air to enter the house and outer walls to cool down. And of course, as long as windows and doors remain closed and no sunlight gets inside... once the heat is inside, without active cooling it can only be removed if temperatures drop sufficiently at night.
However, when experiencing a real summer heatwave, where temperatures don’t fall below 22°C (72°F) even at night, it becomes increasingly difficult to get cool air anywhere—whether through active cooling with an air conditioner or by using earth tubes where the air is a few degrees cooler.
I’m currently considering cooling options for summer because I don’t sleep well in high temperatures. I tend to sweat easily and feel comfortable wearing just a T-shirt even at 15°C (59°F).
Good insulation and external shading are already planned, but I’m wondering if it makes sense to invest in additional cooling devices.
A controlled ventilation system is also planned. There are several options to make the summer indoor climate more comfortable:
- Controlled ventilation with humidity control, since dry air feels more comfortable at higher temperatures than humid air.
- Controlled ventilation with an earth heat exchanger, which provides air a few degrees cooler without active cooling. The question is how much this can actually lower indoor temperatures—perhaps 1-2°C (2-4°F)—so it’s not suitable for truly cool rooms.
- Controlled ventilation with an additional cooling unit similar to an air conditioner. I have no experience with how effective this cooling is.
- Air conditioning for specific rooms, such as bedrooms, to cool them properly in the evening. The downside is that this only cools one room and consumes relatively high energy, plus it may not be visually appealing.
Yes, that’s the issue. I have already looked into several options. Real cooling seems to only be possible with a proper air conditioning system. Ultimately, the energy consumption probably isn’t too bad because, with the measures already mentioned—such as proper ventilation, shading, insulation, etc.—there won’t be that many days throughout the year when additional cooling support is needed.
Is there, for example, a way to temporarily use a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery as a central air conditioning system? The ducts run to every room—the airflow just needs to be significantly increased, and instead of the heat exchanger, the inverter of the air conditioning system would blow air into the ducts. I would prefer to avoid a decentralized multi-split system, and installing additional ventilation ducts alongside the mechanical ventilation system is not really ideal either...
Best regards
Daniel
Is there, for example, a way to temporarily use a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery as a central air conditioning system? The ducts run to every room—the airflow just needs to be significantly increased, and instead of the heat exchanger, the inverter of the air conditioning system would blow air into the ducts. I would prefer to avoid a decentralized multi-split system, and installing additional ventilation ducts alongside the mechanical ventilation system is not really ideal either...
Best regards
Daniel
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