| New Homes |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Heating
Heating your home can consume up to 70% of your total energy dollars.
That's why choosing the proper heating system, sizing it properly, following
the ACCA Manual J & D protocols, and seeing that it's correctly installed by
a qualified contractor can greatly improve the energy efficiency of your new
home.
Choices for heating include:
Oil/gas-fired boilers with hydronic baseboards
Oil/gas-fired forced hot air furnace
Radiant floor heating
Ground-source heat pumps
Boilers/furnaces
Boilers and furnaces are rated by their Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency
(AFUE) and are designed to be condensing or non-condensing. Condensing
units are more efficient because any heat left in the exhaust is removed to the
point that any water vapor condenses. The result is that the additional heat
retrieved during condensation is used to heat the home. Energy gains can be
significant:
Non-condensing furnace 80-85%
Non-condensing boiler 82-87%
Condensing furnace 90-95%
Condensing boiler 90-95%
Ground Source Heat Pumps
As their name implies, ground source heat pumps, also called geo-thermal heat
pumps, use the constant temperature of the ground below the frost line to
both heat and cool your home. Ground source heat pumps are typically more
expensive than conventional heating systems and they require large areas of
land (so the heating/cooling loop for the pump can be buried). However, heat
pumps typically last 25 years or more.
Most ground source heat pumps are rated according to the Coefficients of
Performance (COP), with a COP of 4.5 being the best. Some heat pumps are
rated using the Heating Season Performance Factor (HSPF). Select a unit with
a HSPF of 7.5 or greater.
Radiant Floor Heating
This type of system, which circulates hot water through tubing that's fastened
under a wood floor or embedded in concrete, gives constant heat with very
even distribution. But one of its greatest benefits is the 10-20% gain in energy
efficiency, thanks to lower boiler operating temperatures.
Water Heating
Water heating is often second largest consumer of energy in your home.
Therefore making the proper decisions when choosing and installing a water
heater is of utmost importance. Gas water heaters are often significantly more
efficient than electric water heaters. A gas water heater can cost from
50-70% less to operate than an electric heater of similar size. Water heaters
are rated by Energy Factor (EF). The higher the EF the better the heater.
Choose a water heater that's the right size for your home. A heater that's too
small won't keep up with demand. A water heater that's too large will increase
standby (storage) losses, this costs you whether you use it or not.
