Developing a heating strategy
Here’s what you need to know about planning your home’s heating system
Above: This modern extension to a Cotswolds cottage was built using SIPs for a highperformance home. Heating for upstairs and downstairs has been zoned separately so that the family aren’t wasting energy on unused spaces
DAVID BARBOUR
Now that you’ve designed a well-insulated, airtight, energy efficient modern home, you need to consider the best way to keep it warm. s well as factoring in your budget and eco ambitions, the type of heat source you choose will need to account for the following
● our overall space heating demand
● omestic hot water reuirements
● hat’s available at your property
● verheating and active cooling concerns
● our choice of heat emitters our heating setup will consist of a fuel source, a heat-generating appliance like a boiler or renewable tech and the emitters that pump warmth around your home typically underfloor heating or radiators. n top of that, you’ll need a way to supply domestic hot water for bathing and cooking etc.
Calculating heat demand
The best way to work out how big your setup needs to be is to model your home’s heat losses. It’s really important to get a room-by-room heat loss calculation done so that you know what level of warmth is reuired, and where, says larissa ouden from otal ome nvironment. ou don’t want to overcook it, but your home needs to be able to cope in colder times, too.