Off-Grid / Grid-Tied / Passive Houses
New Zealand benefits from around 1400w/m2 of irradiation (energy) from the sun for a good portion of the year, as well as the ability to tap into the potential and kinetic energy from our wind & hydro. While Photo-voltaic panels may only be able to convert about 15-20% of this solar irradiation, it is still quite desirable vs getting large electric bills every month. This has led to a large uptick in Solar PV systems being installed world wide.
The cost associated with installation of power lines can in some cases be more than the cost of a good quality PV system leading to more and more off grid projects. The bespoke nature of our heating systems compliment these projects very well as we can design a system that will cater to all the Hot Water, Cooking and heating demands that the property requires. This allows for a steadier uses of stored electrical energy (lights and white goods) giving an overall better performing PV system. The use of low energy pumps or in some cases utilising gravity based designs mean that we can usually satisfy most system designs.
In New Zealand our utilities pay us a pittance for the energy generated from P.V. systems, therefore it makes a lot of sense to use as much of that energy as possible at the point of generation (i.e. in your home). A grid tied system typically generates most of its energy when no one is home meaning that it would be pushing power into the grid for most of its life. Some simple things such as a timer on the immersion heater (so it only runs during daylight hours) can be done to maximise energy use. In a few projects we have turned the entire slab into a thermal battery and stored as much energy as we can in the slab during the daylight hours, thereby using as much of the generated power as possible.
With the advent of Structural Insulated Panel homes (SIPs) and Hermetically sealed buildings the idea of a passive house has gained a lot of traction. While these building techniques along with heat reclamation ventilation systems, it is possible to have an extremely well insulated home, however, there is still the requirement to heat it with something at many times of the year – in some circumstances the bulk of this heating can be done with the Sun but Insulation is there to stop Thermal transmittance through the wall/ceiling/windows/floor, if there is no heat inside there is no heat to lose. Therefore we do offer some small scale heating systems that can provide heating & hot water during those periods with extremely cold ambient temperatures with little to no sun. We can also provide small Log burners with NZ compliant balanced flues that do not effect the airtightness of the building.
We have a lot of experience with P.V. Systems, Wind, micro-hydro, Passive home design, Gravity based heating systems and even the odd RAM Pump.
We could even assist with the design of your new home – from a thermal point of view.
Off Grid (with Batteries)
The cost associated with installation of power lines can in some cases be more than the cost of a good quality PV system leading to more and more off grid projects. The bespoke nature of our heating systems compliment these projects very well as we can design a system that will cater to all the Hot Water, Cooking and heating demands that the property requires. This allows for a steadier uses of stored electrical energy (lights and white goods) giving an overall better performing PV system. The use of low energy pumps or in some cases utilising gravity based designs mean that we can usually satisfy most system designs.
Grid tied (No Batteries)
In New Zealand our utilities pay us a pittance for the energy generated from P.V. systems, therefore it makes a lot of sense to use as much of that energy as possible at the point of generation (i.e. in your home). A grid tied system typically generates most of its energy when no one is home meaning that it would be pushing power into the grid for most of its life. Some simple things such as a timer on the immersion heater (so it only runs during daylight hours) can be done to maximise energy use. In a few projects we have turned the entire slab into a thermal battery and stored as much energy as we can in the slab during the daylight hours, thereby using as much of the generated power as possible.
Passive Houses
With the advent of Structural Insulated Panel homes (SIPs) and Hermetically sealed buildings the idea of a passive house has gained a lot of traction. While these building techniques along with heat reclamation ventilation systems, it is possible to have an extremely well insulated home, however, there is still the requirement to heat it with something at many times of the year – in some circumstances the bulk of this heating can be done with the Sun but Insulation is there to stop Thermal transmittance through the wall/ceiling/windows/floor, if there is no heat inside there is no heat to lose. Therefore we do offer some small scale heating systems that can provide heating & hot water during those periods with extremely cold ambient temperatures with little to no sun. We can also provide small Log burners with NZ compliant balanced flues that do not effect the airtightness of the building.
We have a lot of experience with P.V. Systems, Wind, micro-hydro, Passive home design, Gravity based heating systems and even the odd RAM Pump.
We could even assist with the design of your new home – from a thermal point of view.