Heating and cooling a new build is very different to managing the temperature in an older home. With better insulation, larger windows, and double glazing: modern homes have very different heating and cooling requirements. While easier to heat, focus also needs to be given to how you will keep your new home cool in warmer weather.
Let’s take a look at what you should consider when planning your new home.
1. Choose the right heating system
There are a lot of options available to you when it comes to heating your home. Consider heating options that:
- Heat all of the rooms you want to heat
- Adapt to your heating requirements in different areas at different times (zoned heating and timers)
- Maintain optimum temperature without overheating (thermostatic control and timers)
- Fit with the style of your home and the look of your interior.
Options include:
- Heat Pumps: Ideal for energy-efficient heating and cooling. These can heat or cool a single room or multiple rooms in your home
- Hydronic Heating: Use water to provide consistent warmth via underfloor pipes or radiators
- Ducted Heating and Cooling Systems: Great for whole-home heating and cooling with centralised thermostatic control
- Individual Heat Sources: Fires are still a beautiful focal point in your home. Consider combining control with the beauty of a fire and explore gas and electric fires.
Would you like to explore the options for heating your new home? Visit the Snug Home Heating and Cooling Centre at 917 Karamu Road North, Hastings. One of our friendly Snug experts will be able to demonstrate the options with our interactive display models.
2. Choose the right cooling system
Depending on the heating system you choose, you may also want to consider a separate cooling system for your home. In today’s climate being able to reduce the temperature in your home during the Summer months is as much of a consideration for comfort as heating your home in Winter.
Heat pumps are the most popular way to cool homes in New Zealand, and have the added benefit of giving you access to warmth in Winter as well. Choosing how many rooms you want to cool and when, will allow you to choose the right heat pump solution for your home. Take a look at our article How do I choose the right heat pump for my home? for more detail.
3. Install insulation for temperature control across your home
Insulation keeps cold air out and warm air in in Winter, and cold air in and warm air out in Summer. Whether you’re heating or cooling your home, the right insulation is an important part of controlling the temperature across your home and minimising the energy costs of heating or cooling.
To ensure your home is properly insulated, remember to consider:
- The quality and placement of insulation in floors, walls and ceilings
- Double or triple glazing in your windows for maximum control of temperature
- Curtains and blinds on windows to help reduce heat loss or transfer.
4. Use passive heating and cooling design wherever possible
Windows play an important role in the passive heating and cooling of your new build home.
Passive heating
Your architect can help you to orientate your home and the windows in your home to make maximum use of the sun’s warmth during different months of the year. Optimal passive heating design collects, conserves and stores the sun’s warmth in Winter for a warmer home.
Find out more about passive heating here.
Passive cooling
Passive cooling is becoming increasingly important in New Zealand as a means to make homes more comfortable as temperatures increase. Modern and new homes have the ability to include passive cooling in their design by:
- Using shade and insulation to keep heat outside your home during the hotter months of Summer - this can be one or a combination of plantings, window placement and angle, window and glazing types, window coverings and canopies, and insulation.
- Using heat-storing materials to absorb heat and reduce the temperature in your home, i.e. concrete flooring
- Increasing the natural air flow and movement inside your home to keep you cool.
Find out more about passive cooling here.
Ask an expert to help you heat and cool your new home
If you’re building a new home; start by talking to your architect and let them know your expectations and what a comfortable home would feel like for you. Putting your thoughts into the design from the beginning will help you to ensure your new build will be the house you are hoping for.
If you need expert help choosing the right heating and cooling solution for your home; talk to the team at Snug. We can work with you and your architect to review your house plans and help you understand the options to efficiently heat and cool your home beyond passive heating and cooling design. With a detailed understanding of all the options available, we can help you meet your expectations and match your budget to your upfront and day-to-day running costs.
Contact our team today to find out more.
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