Building a house - all help/advice appreciated

[thirdmantackle]

Fellow toffees, I am currently in the process of planning a house build for next year (hopefully) in rural Ireland.

the house is coming in around 195 sqm, and i'm happy enough with the overall layout and design of rooms and spaces. My sister is the architect. we're not going for a passive house, but a timber frame house with a very high standard of insulation

the biggest issue is the heating and renewable energies to be used in the house.

From my research into the likes of heat pumps, heat recovery etc there is a lot of conflicting information and claims out there on the the interweb from manufacturers, installers and even those people who have built houses recently

So basically, I'd love to hear some honest feedback from those who have recently done some building

1 - Solar PV - have you installed it? What is the excess electricity used for? What are its benefits in the house. Do you use a chargeable battery?
2 - heat pump - running costs, efficiency for the underfloor heating in a real house?
3 - heat recovery system - does it make a big difference to heating the house?
4 - do you have a back up heating system eg stove with back boiler or a woodpellet burner

anything else you consider relevant
I'm hoping to avoid making the honest mistakes and assumptions other have made
Cheers

 

[COYBL25]

Lots and lots of sawdust.

 

[kev]

Are you seriously expecting intelligent, reasoned opinions on GOT ?
You are aren't you ? How much for the pair lad ?
The worlds gone mad.

 

[malfosse]

Don't have a roof, I read somewhere that about a quarter of all heat is lost through the roof.

 

[Tramps_mate]

Fellow toffees, I am currently in the process of planning a house build for next year (hopefully) in rural Ireland.

the house is coming in around 195 sqm, and i'm happy enough with the overall layout and design of rooms and spaces. My sister is the architect. we're not going for a passive house, but a timber frame house with a very high standard of insulation

the biggest issue is the heating and renewable energies to be used in the house.

From my research into the likes of heat pumps, heat recovery etc there is a lot of conflicting information and claims out there on the the interweb from manufacturers, installers and even those people who have built houses recently

So basically, I'd love to hear some honest feedback from those who have recently done some building

1 - Solar PV - have you installed it? What is the excess electricity used for? What are its benefits in the house. Do you use a chargeable battery?
2 - heat pump - running costs, efficiency for the underfloor heating in a real house?
3 - heat recovery system - does it make a big difference to heating the house?
4 - do you have a back up heating system eg stove with back boiler or a woodpellet burner

anything else you consider relevant
I'm hoping to avoid making the honest mistakes and assumptions other have made
Cheers

I tried a DIY thread here...

Didn't work. Give up now.

No one seems to have built anything, ever.

 

[Tramps_mate]

Fellow toffees, I am currently in the process of planning a house build for next year (hopefully) in rural Ireland.

the house is coming in around 195 sqm, and i'm happy enough with the overall layout and design of rooms and spaces. My sister is the architect. we're not going for a passive house, but a timber frame house with a very high standard of insulation

the biggest issue is the heating and renewable energies to be used in the house.

From my research into the likes of heat pumps, heat recovery etc there is a lot of conflicting information and claims out there on the the interweb from manufacturers, installers and even those people who have built houses recently

So basically, I'd love to hear some honest feedback from those who have recently done some building

1 - Solar PV - have you installed it? What is the excess electricity used for? What are its benefits in the house. Do you use a chargeable battery?
2 - heat pump - running costs, efficiency for the underfloor heating in a real house?
3 - heat recovery system - does it make a big difference to heating the house?
4 - do you have a back up heating system eg stove with back boiler or a woodpellet burner

anything else you consider relevant
I'm hoping to avoid making the honest mistakes and assumptions other have made
Cheers

I saw a show about an architect who built his own house the other day. His heating bill is £15 a year.. I'll try and find it.

 

[the golden visionary]

Whatever the op does, a qualified tradesman is necessary unless the aim is countless problems in the future.

 

[hibbo'sclass]

Fellow toffees, I am currently in the process of planning a house build for next year (hopefully) in rural Ireland.

the house is coming in around 195 sqm, and i'm happy enough with the overall layout and design of rooms and spaces. My sister is the architect. we're not going for a passive house, but a timber frame house with a very high standard of insulation

the biggest issue is the heating and renewable energies to be used in the house.

From my research into the likes of heat pumps, heat recovery etc there is a lot of conflicting information and claims out there on the the interweb from manufacturers, installers and even those people who have built houses recently

So basically, I'd love to hear some honest feedback from those who have recently done some building

1 - Solar PV - have you installed it? What is the excess electricity used for? What are its benefits in the house. Do you use a chargeable battery?
2 - heat pump - running costs, efficiency for the underfloor heating in a real house?
3 - heat recovery system - does it make a big difference to heating the house?
4 - do you have a back up heating system eg stove with back boiler or a woodpellet burner

anything else you consider relevant
I'm hoping to avoid making the honest mistakes and assumptions other have made
Cheers

Look into it with various renewable/green energy supply and fit companies in Ireland to find out what grants and feed-in tariffs are available over there.
Unless it's a lifestyle choice, pv etc may not be economically viable.

 

[the golden visionary]

I saw a show about an architect who built his own house the other day. His heating bill is £15 a year.. I'll try and find it.

He must have one of them sealed houses, saw one on grand designs once

 

[peteblue]

I saw a show about an architect who built his own house the other day. His heating bill is £15 a year.. I'll try and find it.

Was it an igloo ........

 

[Tramps_mate]

Whatever the op does, a qualified tradesman is necessary unless the aim is countless problems in the future.

Some people are capable of doing things themselves!

 

[the golden visionary]

Some people are capable of doing things themselves!

Not when it comes to gas and electricity.

They can do stuff with wood an bricks, even plastering isn't to hard. But regs are regs.

 

[COYBL25]

Whatever the op does, a qualified tradesman is necessary unless the aim is countless problems in the future.

A qualified tradesman from rural Ireland.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

@tommye

 

[the golden visionary]

View attachment 15866

A qualified tradesman from rural Ireland.

Maybe he should have a dabble