ᐅ New construction with underfloor heating, mechanical ventilation, and air conditioning
Created on: 18 Jan 2022 12:06
R
Ramona13
Hello 🙂
First of all, we haven’t planned a floor plan for our future house yet, so we don’t have any idea of the required dimensions. I’m more interested in getting an idea for our wish list.
As mentioned in the title, for the new build we want underfloor heating, a centralized ventilation system, and air conditioning. From what I have read so far, it seems like I would need three separate systems for this... for example, an air-to-water heat pump for regular heating (hot water and underfloor heating), a device for ventilation, and a standalone split air conditioning system (several indoor units), since ventilation alone doesn’t provide real air conditioning. I have also read about cooling through the underfloor heating system, but I imagine that would be uncomfortable, as I usually walk barefoot or wear socks inside the house 😉
Am I on the right track with this approach, or are there good combination units that can cover these functions? Has anyone experienced this setup themselves?
We also plan to install photovoltaic panels on the roof, so electricity consumption is not my primary concern when comparing individual systems versus a combination unit, but rather the space requirements. My server cabinet also needs power and cooling 😎
Thanks and best regards
Ramona
First of all, we haven’t planned a floor plan for our future house yet, so we don’t have any idea of the required dimensions. I’m more interested in getting an idea for our wish list.
As mentioned in the title, for the new build we want underfloor heating, a centralized ventilation system, and air conditioning. From what I have read so far, it seems like I would need three separate systems for this... for example, an air-to-water heat pump for regular heating (hot water and underfloor heating), a device for ventilation, and a standalone split air conditioning system (several indoor units), since ventilation alone doesn’t provide real air conditioning. I have also read about cooling through the underfloor heating system, but I imagine that would be uncomfortable, as I usually walk barefoot or wear socks inside the house 😉
Am I on the right track with this approach, or are there good combination units that can cover these functions? Has anyone experienced this setup themselves?
We also plan to install photovoltaic panels on the roof, so electricity consumption is not my primary concern when comparing individual systems versus a combination unit, but rather the space requirements. My server cabinet also needs power and cooling 😎
Thanks and best regards
Ramona
If you want truly efficient cooling performance, you will hardly avoid having separate air conditioning units. Therefore, I assume that every window will be equipped with external shading. In my opinion, the cooling capacity is sufficient if you get a split air conditioning system for the bedroom and the office. Unless you also want to have 18°C (64°F) in the living room. Unfortunately, I lack knowledge about ventilation systems with integrated air conditioning and split modules. But that would be my approach, and in my opinion, it would work excellently in a new build.
TmMike_2 schrieb:
If you want truly efficient cooling, you will hardly avoid using separate air conditioning units.
Therefore, I assume each window will have external shading.
In my opinion, the cooling capacity is sufficient if you get a split air conditioning system for the bedroom and office.
Unless you also want to have 18°C (64°F) in the living room.
Unfortunately, I don’t have knowledge about ventilation systems with integrated air conditioning and split modules.
But that would be my approach, and I think it would work excellently in a new build. The living area would probably be air-conditioned as well, but in the end, it also depends on our floor plan and overall size. A solution that supplies every room through the ceiling, similar to a controlled ventilation system, would be optimal, but I need to check with manufacturers whether individual rooms can still have adjustable temperatures.
Ramona13 schrieb:
The living area would probably be air-conditioned as well, but in the end, it also depends on our floor plan and overall size. A solution that supplies every room through the ceiling, similar to a controlled mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, would be ideal, but I wonder if the rooms would still be individually temperature-adjustable. I’ll have to look more closely at the manufacturers for that…This can certainly be well planned during construction by calculating the ventilation flow rates depending on the expected summer heat gain. It’s definitely good that you’ve realized summer thermal protection is much more important nowadays than just keeping the house warm in winter. I built with solid calcium silicate blocks (inside and outside) and a concrete ceiling, and I can say that the thermal mass inertia greatly contributes to thermal comfort.
No, the cassette unit cannot replace a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, because then you would need one in every room.
A combination of air conditioning, underfloor heating, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and photovoltaic panels is a sensible approach. However, none of these systems can fully take over the function of the others. Of course, the house can be designed and built using various measures to maximize shading and other passive strategies as much as possible. But the effectiveness of these measures also depends on the location and the plot of land. Such passive cooling measures are not always sufficient, and the costs often exceed the investment needed for an active cooling system.
Furthermore, a modern house requires very little heating power in winter, but it works just as well the other way around. The required cooling capacity is similarly manageable.
A combination of air conditioning, underfloor heating, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and photovoltaic panels is a sensible approach. However, none of these systems can fully take over the function of the others. Of course, the house can be designed and built using various measures to maximize shading and other passive strategies as much as possible. But the effectiveness of these measures also depends on the location and the plot of land. Such passive cooling measures are not always sufficient, and the costs often exceed the investment needed for an active cooling system.
Furthermore, a modern house requires very little heating power in winter, but it works just as well the other way around. The required cooling capacity is similarly manageable.
Another “issue” with modern houses is that insulation doesn’t only work during winter. Passive cooling through shading, for example, presents the challenge that once heat enters the house, it’s difficult to get it out again. In summer, it’s enough to forget to shade a window exposed to sunlight for just one day or to leave a door open too long.
In my experience, you can’t open all the windows wide enough at night to effectively remove the heat once it’s inside.
With passive measures, you have to be extremely precise to ensure everything is always optimal. Alternatively, you can automate shading, but that also comes with significant costs. Our air conditioning system cost around 5000€ in total.
In my experience, you can’t open all the windows wide enough at night to effectively remove the heat once it’s inside.
With passive measures, you have to be extremely precise to ensure everything is always optimal. Alternatively, you can automate shading, but that also comes with significant costs. Our air conditioning system cost around 5000€ in total.
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