Hello everyone,
I will be taking over my parents’ old house next year.
- Built in the early 1900s, 2 full floors, 160cm (63 inches) of usable living space
- Insulation, windows, etc. are from the early 2000s
- Plumbing and electrical systems date back to 1981
- Currently using liquid propane gas for heating and water, but this will be removed (above-ground tank is taking up space)
Since we plan to renovate all the walls and floors anyway, we would also like to install a central mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, including air conditioning.
I have read here several times that heat pumps with passive cooling don’t provide much benefit.
My current idea is:
- Heat pump for hot water and heating
- Central mechanical ventilation system supplying all rooms (ducts in walls/ceilings)
- Central air conditioning integrated into the ventilation system for effective cooling
- Supported by photovoltaic panels or solar thermal system (flat roof garage with 50mm (2 inches) insulation, perfectly oriented)
The air conditioning can be debated, but for health reasons it is necessary.
- Is this a practical and effective solution, and are there ready-made systems available?
- Photovoltaic or solar thermal – which is more suitable for this setup?
Thanks for your help,
Regards,
ruediger42
I will be taking over my parents’ old house next year.
- Built in the early 1900s, 2 full floors, 160cm (63 inches) of usable living space
- Insulation, windows, etc. are from the early 2000s
- Plumbing and electrical systems date back to 1981
- Currently using liquid propane gas for heating and water, but this will be removed (above-ground tank is taking up space)
Since we plan to renovate all the walls and floors anyway, we would also like to install a central mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, including air conditioning.
I have read here several times that heat pumps with passive cooling don’t provide much benefit.
My current idea is:
- Heat pump for hot water and heating
- Central mechanical ventilation system supplying all rooms (ducts in walls/ceilings)
- Central air conditioning integrated into the ventilation system for effective cooling
- Supported by photovoltaic panels or solar thermal system (flat roof garage with 50mm (2 inches) insulation, perfectly oriented)
The air conditioning can be debated, but for health reasons it is necessary.
- Is this a practical and effective solution, and are there ready-made systems available?
- Photovoltaic or solar thermal – which is more suitable for this setup?
Thanks for your help,
Regards,
ruediger42
The ducts for the controlled residential ventilation system are simply too small to cool efficiently. Just look overseas or at any office building with central air conditioning.
The cross-sections of the ventilation ducts are significantly larger, and not just for fun, but because it is necessary.
The cross-sections of the ventilation ducts are significantly larger, and not just for fun, but because it is necessary.