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Details regarding the heating and domestic hot water systems of the Edelweiss house
August Wehrmann
March 10, 2019, 9:26 a.m.
I saw the article on the CaGBC site regarding the Edelweiss house where it indicated "a hydronic radiant floor and an air source heat pump". Can you post more details on which systems were used? For example, is the ASHP being used to heat the fluid in the radiant flooring? If not, what system was used for that? Also, what system was used for domestic hot water?
Thanks
Hi August
The radiant floor is heated with an electric boiler, it is a separate system than the heat pump. The intention of the heated floor is primary to ensure comfort and happy feet, the air-source heat pump is far more efficient and so we rely primarily on that to heat the air of the home.
The domestic hot water is a heat pump as well, we used an AO Smith air-to-water hybrid heat pump. The water heater sucks in the air from the home (which with the heat pump is generated more efficiently and affordably than by the floor) and so it in turn transfers that ‘efficiency’ to the water heater.
An even greater benefit is in the summer months as the water heater in effect acts to cool the air in the house, so much so that most summers the air-source heat pump is actually never operated for cooling.
A greater explanation can be found on the following pages