central heating for new homes

Very high levels of home insulation, properly installed, can make central heating unnecessary for new homes, even in cold climates… Super-insulation and green features can make home space heating a good alternative to traditional central heating.

See: New Homes & Insulation

A small central heating system

If you do need a central heating system for your new home, bet on a small one.

As long as your new home meets the demanded green design and insulation levels, you don’t need a large heating system. A small-efficient furnace (or a small-efficient boiler system, or other small system) is more than enough.

Multiple options

Central heating systems are typically of two broad types: those that use heated air and those that use water as the distribution medium (hydronic systems).

Possible central heating systems include warm-air heaters such as furnaces (gas, pellet and electric), air and geothermal heat pumps, hot-water boiler systems or radiant (hydronic) floor systems. Solar hot-water systems could also be considered (in conjunction with boilers) as well as electric baseboard heating and electric radiant heating…

Solar hot-water systems

Solar hot-water systems has obvious limitations as heating systems: the actual technology doesn't provide a sufficiently continuous flux of hot water, able to feed radiators or radiant heating.

For a robust solution, you may consider a solar-water system connected to an efficient boiler.

See: Solar Water Boiler System

Which option to consider

The exact central heating option to consider – boilers, furnaces, heat pumps, solar hot water heating systems, radiant heating... - for your new home depends largely on your preferences.

However, do not forget that some heating systems respond better to large heating needs and are expensive to install (geothermal heat pumps...), which collides with a strategy of a super-insulated home with a small heating system (and a well designed duct system)...

Duct design

Pay attention to the importance of the ductwork design for your new home. Duct design will be a key element on the efficiency of your central heating system. Bet on central location for your home ducting, to make it short. Also locate it inside your home...

See, for details: Ducts for New Homes

Green features

Any heating system for a new home will always depend on a large set of features: the home’s size and insulation, the landscape, its orientation to the sun, the type of materials and their thermal mass, the location, dimension and type of windows, and so on.

See: New Homes & Green Features

Central or space heating systems

If your new home meets high standards of insulation and green features, consider the space heating option. Central heating systems may not make sense in that cases...