Passive build - electric heating?

[Mayobuild]

We are building a timber frame house and a naturally warm people, everyone we talk to says we’ll be roasted and any new house we’ve been in we’ve commented on how we would manage with the heat.

We have the option to go passive with the timber frame, theres a difference of €6k between the standard package (U value 0.18) and the passive at 0.13 U value.

 

Would it be an option to go with the passive and go for electric heaters. Greater control over the running of the heating and if it is as warm as people say they won’t be used as much. Electric underfloor element for the bathrooms. We’ll have a solar PV installed, adding batteries could help manage the load better.

 

Is this a viable option or has anyone done anything similar?

 

As a follow on, what would be the best way to solve our hot water demand?

 

Thanks

[ProDave]

Depends where you are and your climate (you price in € as the only clue to your location)

 

Under floor heating from an Air Source Heat Pump will be the cheapest "electric" heating.  Roughly 1/3 the cost of direct electric heating.  And it can heat your hot water as well.

[Kelvin]

Overheating is often a bigger problem than heating such a house. What’s the rest of the design like? (Lots of glass etc) 

[Gone West]

1 hour ago, Mayobuild said:

We are building a timber frame house and a naturally warm people, everyone we talk to says we’ll be roasted and any new house we’ve been in we’ve commented on how we would manage with the heat.

We have the option to go passive with the timber frame, theres a difference of €6k between the standard package (U value 0.18) and the passive at 0.13 U value.

Our timber frame worked out at 0.095 U value and we heated the house with just three electric towel rails and warm air from a 685W EASP. We kept the whole house at 23C.

[joe90]

£6k is a small percentage of a build cost. As @ProDave says, ASHP is the cheapest way of electric heating, will do DHW, and (some) can so cooling to cope with overheating and solar will run this during sunny weather.

[SteamyTea]

Welcome.

 

Depending on the layout, air to air heat pumps (A2AHP) may be a cost effective option. You will still need to find a way to heat your domestic hot water (DHW), but there are several options there.

 

The U-Values toy have been quoted are nothing special, but it does depend on the wall area.

 

If you go for underfloor heating, the amount of insulation under it becomes important as you have a greater temperature difference (∆T).

 

The smaller the house heat load is, the small the problem of heating it is.

[JohnMo]

1 hour ago, Mayobuild said:

passive at 0.13 U value.

 

You really need to complete a heat loss calculations, we have 0.14 walls, 0.09 floor and between 0.11 and 0.14 roof, and pretty airtight - we defiantly need heating in NE Scotland.  Your form factor makes a huge difference to heat load, ours is rubbish (long thin building and all vaulted ceilings), but suits the location and views.

 

No matter what you decide, put UFH pipes in all down stairs rooms. We put ours in a 300mm centres - very small cost and nothing lost.  You could connect to a heat pump or heat on a cheap rate via a Willis heater or two. 

[MikeSharp01]

1 hour ago, JohnMo said:

Willis heater or two

Willis heaters are like immersion heaters for flowing water so you just put them in the UFH circuit and away you go.