What I Learned After 1 Year in My Net Zero House

[@UndecidedMF]

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[@RWBHere]

You really need to insulate all of your hot and cold water pipes. I saw no insulation on any of the pipes in that video clip.

[@samuelfeguer]

Heat pump water heaters need a huge volume of space to work properly. Not to mention that it will drastically drop the temperature of the surrounding air to heat the water. Depending on your geographic region and home design this might have drastically negative effects. Consult with an educated plumber before "just swapping it out"

[@bowserkoopa1088]

@UndecidedMF, you said people think they are subscribed, but are not... That made me check and it said I was not subscribed. I know 100% that I WAS subscribed. Somehow I no longer was. I have re-scubscribed. Since other people thought they were but were not, maybe there is some bug that is auto un-subscribing people from your channel. Might be worth mentioning the possibility on a few videos, that way if someone just happens to catch one of those they will know to double check that they are still subscribed.

[@surters]

Also your dehumidifier should give off heat if I'm not mistaken.

[@drgyt2469]

Isn't the floor to cold because you lack the basement? Similar european homes have an underfloor water heating system.

[@jpe1]

Lest people worry, I will point out that a feature of induction cooktops is that nothing gets hot unless there is ferrous metal on the burner when it gets turned on. A cat walking across, or a child playing with, an induction cooktop will do nothing more than make beeping noises. The cooktop can sense that there is no pot or pan and won’t energize the burner, and the cat is completely safe.

[@TheBoothy666]

Also if I turn mine on (four ring built in type unit similar to in the vid), but no pan is placed on it, it just turns itself off again after about 10 seconds (at least mine does, although I don't know if this is common to others). It does the same if you've been using it, but take the pan off the heat. It bleeps at you first after about 5 seconds (so you have enough time to pick up and shake/flip etc without it being annoying), it then switches off if you don't put the pan back on the burner. (It also shows 'H' for hot for a while after using it, so you know it's hot to the touch).

[@Jimmeh_B]

That's not how induction heaters work. Also, there's iron in your blood. And your cat's.

[@thefooshisloose]

Yeah it truly is a game changer if you care about energy usage. It has solved many of my VOC gas problems in my house since converting from "natural" gas methane fossil fuels along side no chimney to lose inside energy too! Methane "natural" gas is just a dumb idea in the 21st century with all the much better alternatives we have now.

[@Jimmeh_B]

@@JohnLaFosse John, you clearly have no idea what induction means, nor how it works.

[@harry130747]

The microwave oven is far more efficient.

[@harrycornelius373]

What I’d like to see is your wife’s impressions of the whole journey. It’s one thing to be a nerd and nerd out on all these great things… it’s another to be married to one and be swept along with the tidal wave.

[@dfgdfg_]

This!

[@CWhitmer22015]

Amen

[@seang2012]

What are you talking about? The wife ALWAYS agrees with the husbands projects, right?

[@NorthOlbo]

@@harrycornelius373 it actually was my wife’s idea…I just organized the data

[@harrycornelius373]

@@seang2012 it is likely presumptuous of me to say but I am sure that the wife in this case was a committed, contributing partner in the process ….but I do think that her perspective would be interesting.

[@NO-mi5mf]

I think you need some Regen braking on your blinds to harness the down energy. Only makes sense.

[@FirestormX9]

KERS? Like from F1? haha

[@alihms]

Yup, regen from the blinds and the garage door is needed to recover as much energy as possible. And the heat from the breaths should be harnessed for energy too.

[@therookienomore88]

@@alihmsI’m willing to divulge knowledge I have gained from fart harvesting. It’s a Natural resource!

[@thefooshisloose]

You have no clue what you are talking about nerd, a perpetual motion device would use ZERO energy and could be tied into the the grid to actually give back all that energy when the blinds are not in use. You could generate approximately 10GWh per day if done correctly!

[@suggesttwo]

@@alihms There are garage doors with counter weights and springs. Body heat doesn't leave the room. With blinds the most important thing is to make sure they open when heat is needed and available. Skylights can also heat up the attic added a thermal barrier to heat loss during the heating season.

[@wouldntyaliktono]

Something for the folks who live in a place without chlorinated drinking water - If you switch to a heat pump water heater, you'll need to be mindful of Legionella in your plumbing. We switched to a heat pump from gas hot water during our renovation, and we had to jump through a bunch of hoops to get it to pass inspection because the heat pump couldn't heat the water above 65°C on its own. Some water heaters can do it, but ours is a low temperature system that's tied into the same loop as the floor heating system. So we needed to get a booster that pasteurizes the system regularly, and consumes some power doing so.

[@simoneisgod]

UK here we moved into a 1960 brick built bungalow with an old half dead gas boiler. We replaced everything so we now have a heat pump doing our hot water and heating (air to air so no old water based radiators). We have a smallish 5kwh solar array with a 5kwh battery, and changed the stove to induction. All of this means we pay less than half in energy as our old smaller property we moved from and at current rates all this investment will pay back in under 9 years. Love the videos Matt keep them coming

[@gromm93]

This is actually a fantastic example of what modern energy efficiency technology can accomplish. There's a lot of people in the UK and North America who are starting with already-built homes that they can't completely overhaul for many reasons.

[@mujkocka]

i bought a home near Glasgow in 2015. energy rating C. shame that it's a 5 yr old home. i definitely feel the draft in the winter a bit. first thing i diitwas to add as much solar panels as i can. i didn't want to connect to phase 3 circuit. so too bad, i can only have less solar panels than the roof could handle. since the rate of electricoty feeding back to the grid is so tiny. i bought a tesla wall. it was the 2nd one installed in Scotland! so worth it, i did have gas heating still but induction stove. so i benefited from the ultra low right of charging at night, i wish they would build energy class A home by defaults because someone who bought a commonwealth village home. it was class A and super cheap to run. i left in 2020 and the energy prices have gone up the roof, i sold without charging too much extra of the battery or the solar panels due to people's prejudice about them. and the new owners surely benefited from them now. :-) happy for them

[@Lordazoid]

When you want to shade your windows, always have shading outside. Otherwise most of the heat has already entered your home

[@AnvilCreekLodge]

Ideally, yes. But shading windows when outside temps are low helps keep heat in and drafts low.

[@EfficientEnergyTransformations]

For that one needs to think logically & simply when building and designing things, not just bundle tech together and call it energy efficient. A house out of straw and mud is not only energy efficient but also carbon negative.

[@CarkeekW]

In his case the triple glazing and passive ready window seals are 99% of his solution the window coverings are mainly for privacy

[@Harry_Gersack]

​@@AnvilCreekLodge That effect is absolutely negligible. Especially compared to the greenhouse effect that heats the house up in summer. Want to keep the house cool in summer --> shades on the outside Want to keep it warm in the winter? --> No shades + well insulated windows Greenhouse effect also works in the winter. So keeping the shades open is the best thing to do

[@Jaker788]

Having cell blinds inside can add insulation that can sometimes double the windows insulation value. Cell blinds can add R2 insulation. Outside is if you have radiant heat to block from getting inside, but in primarily heating climates you would want inside shades.

[@lucas-90536]

84% energy savings on hot water is absolutely mind-blowing. Great video!

[@Thesaltymaker]

@@lucas-90536 I have the same brand hybrid water heater, we use ~100 kw per month for a family of 5. I’m really impressed with it.

[@matthodel946]

that is huge!

[@thyme-wm8pt]

I'm curious how much of the savings is costing the rest of the HVAC etc systems to deal with the moisture/cooling effects?

[@thyme-wm8pt]

I wonder if this could be tested by putting it in resistive only mode? (if it has one) Then checking the change on the rest of the systems.

[@482jpsquared]

"Heat Backup" is probably the resistance heaters that most geothermal installers will install in your ductwork. They only come on if your heat pumps aren't satisfying demand. If the system is sized properly, they will hardly ever come on, but there's a balance. If they never, ever ever come on, maybe your heat pumps and loops are oversized. So, it's not a bad thing if they do come on but it should be very infrequently, as in when we've had -15F temps in MA where you live. The fact that you can track this with your SPAN panel is fantastic. I'd love to see how that tracks over time. It's also cool that you get to monitor its activity in real time. Hope this helps.

[@jronmantech]

I was about to mention this. Some systems call it Aux Heat

[@janhakvoort3157]

Yes and it can be set to ru do legionella prevention every other week

[@L4JP]

Here in Japan, space is a premium, so ducting systems for central HVAC are practically non-existent in homes. Instead, there is a wall-mounted heat pump in each main room with the compressor mounted on a ledge or sitting on a balcony as applicable. So you only turn it on in the room you're in (and rooms are small, so they get to the desired temperature quickly), instead of heating or cooling the whole house/apartment all the time.

[@SeanReifschneider]

Another inductive range benefit: Super easy to clean. The cooktop doesn't get that hot so it doesn't burn stuff onto the cooktop, plus it's cool enough that if you spill while cooking you can just move the pot, wipe it down, and get back to work. My wife wanted gas, but I asked her to try inductive and I'd get her a gas range if she decided she still preferred it, but she absolutely loves induction.

[@krmr]

Essentially this is a (Western/Northern) European house, the build bears a lot of resemblance to current day (energy efficient) builds over here. No basement (because they're expensive), lot of insulation, triple glazed windows, heat pumps, energy recovery ventilation, blower door testing throughout the build and electrical smarts, PV and so on. Even the wooden framing prefab is something some people in Germany pick nowadays instead of masonry like it used to be. The heat pump driers and induction cooktops are standard over here anyhow. So yeah, Matt built a European home.

[@martingardens]

American driers and double-glazed windows couldn’t be sold in Switzerland as they’re too inefficient.

[@krmr]

@@martingardens True that. Also the YT algo has also been pushing new home inspection vids into my shorts feed, the quality is shoddy (but it's also shoddy in Germany, hence why I'd never build without an inspector, always used an inspector in the past). it's not just the inefficient appliances, it's the material quality overall, I'm horrified by their crappy sliding windows and paper doors & how the builders stiff buyers and insulation seemingly in every new build.

[@dDoOyYoOuUtTuUbBeE]

No, it is another American wood shed, not a masonry European house. It will be exploded and flatten by the first serious storm.

[@ohary1]

Here in the northeast part of the US, a basement makes sense from a cost perspective. We get cold winters and frost in the Boston area reaches 4' (design code) and even 5' or more in northern New England. So if you're building a house you might as well go another couple feet and gain an entire story. Basements do get damp, so a dehumidifier is necessary in summer.

[@wfemp_4730]

@@dDoOyYoOuUtTuUbBeE Troll

[@mwoody4560]

Matt, I’m going to build one more house to retire in. My main goal is to be energy independent. Energy efficiency is important to me as well. So, I’ve really enjoyed what you have been sharing with us. I’m 10 years out. I’m certain technology will change by then.

[@thefooshisloose]

The future is here now if you can DIY much of it. I am in the process and it is very affordable if seen in a 5 year ROI. You don't have to get all the latest and greatest things, just know how your appliances use energy and apply that towards your system. A normal drier can be used on low for half of the energy ouput or an electric 80 gal water heater can be cycled to run only during the day off of solar only. LFP Batteries are the only problem currently for a normal house but EG4 has some very good solutions for only $251/Kwh which has been going down for a while now.

[@UndecidedMF]

Glad you've been enjoying my house build series of videos. This stuff is changing fast and improving, so there should be a lot of great options for you when you're ready.

[@Slumbert]

​@@UndecidedMFwhat about large plastic waterbattery with turbine/pump on the side under the lawn?

[@jeffersonmichels5746]

Mr. Woody I liked your comment, I am a technology researcher and I can show you many different ways you can build your forever home, if you need assistance please contact me and I'll be glad to help.

[@guytech7310]

Your better off doing it sooner than later (as in next year). Very high inflation is coming. US Debt is now over $100T (Gov't + Corp + consumer). Fed is going to print & print until the dollar collapses.

[@KJSvitko]

All new buildings should be designed with large roof overhangs. The large overhang provides beauty and protection from the sun, rain and wind. Protection of the doors, windows and siding make for a more durable and comfortable home.

[@sbk2207]

Or window awnings. Unlike roof overhangs you can adjust window awnings according to season.

[@larrybremer4930]

And in the sun belt maximize south facing roof area and optimize angles for solar production.

[@Jellybizzy]

Shape of house matters too. Limit your external surface area for extra efficiency.

[@rovert1284]

Here the blocks are getting smaller and overhangs are disappearing.

[@KJSvitko]

@@rovert1284 Yes -builders want to use less materials to save money. They in effect are making building that look less appealing and have less protection from the sun, wind and rain. Short term thinking keeps people poor.

[@HappyFlappyFarm]

After years of planning we are finally getting our new house built. We decided on ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) construction for the energy efficiency and strength in our tornado and high wind prone area of the southeast US. I have been watching the channel for energy efficient ideas and have selected heat pump HVAC with an ERV, triple glazed European style windows, and heat pump dryer. We bought an induction cooktop for our workshop studio apartment (temporary housing until the house is built) and love it. Thank you Matt for giving us detailed information on all of these new technologies!

[@RussellOConnor]

I got a ventless dryer/washer combo and I highly recommend the all-in-one machine. Not only is it energy efficient, but the combo completely transforms how you do laundry. We run it overnight and in the morning the clothes are dry. So it doesn't matter that it is slower to dry because you are just asleep while it runs. No more "laundry day" because every night is a potential laundry night. The combo machine is a bit more pricey but really serves to mitigate the downsides of the ventless dryer.

[@schsch2390]

Ran into one of these in a stay in Scotland. Worked ok but the total cycle was in excess of 3 hours, which is why you schedule an overnite run.

[@howard1431]

@@schsch2390 Our GE all-in-one typically runs in about 2 hours. Besides energy savings, we really appreciate having a washer/dryer that one just puts clothes in, 2 hours later, all with 110 outlet and no vent, but remember to clean the filter after EVERY use!!

[@JeffBilkins]

What is this "owning a house" thing older people talk about? Might be fun for a video topic.

[@UndecidedMF]

Sad but true right now. We really need to build more affordable housing ASAP.

[@powerguymark]

It's a myth. Especially since property taxes are perhaps the biggest Ponzi scheme going.

[@jessebrook1688]

@@Tryp-j9d Neither you nor I are adding anything to these comments.

[@definitely_not_a_robot]

@@UndecidedMF we need to build more housing, period. There’s a shortage of housing in every market segment now so increased supply in any one of them relieves pressure on the others.

[@davidleonard1511]

@@UndecidedMF ....that isn't ultimately owned by the big corps like Blackrock and Vanguard.

[@ronmorrell9809]

Baby steps are relatively easy to take. I bought a countertop $80 induction cooker. We like it so much that we put a removable counter top over the gas range. (Removable because oven vent is under it. We only bake once a week.) Since the kids are grown, we use only half of the house. A 36k BTU 4-zone air-source heat pump cost $6000 after tax rebate with a week of DIY labor. With a 2.5 kW solar panel (Fully amortized since 2012), and 2 EVs, our electric bill is less than $50/month.

[@cre8tvedge]

Similar. I also have an older gas oven and mostly only bake. I bought an induction fanned counter top oven for well less than $200.00. Savings on the gas bill over a year pays for it. When I can spend the money and get the IRA credits I'll install a built in convection oven with a microwave in the top position. Meanwhile I am 95% or so off of nat gas usage. Not to forget the EV is charged via the solar both on my roof and in daylight hours when out grid hits zero gas for elec generation.

[@dfgdfg_]

Meanwhile my gas and electric is $400/month 💀

[@d4mdcykey]

Your thoroughness and attention to detail is going to be immensely helpful to countless people over the years that are going in this direction for their homes. Many thanks, Matt.

[@OneMoreTank]

If you have the CO2 sensors and thermostat both integrated into home assistant, you can create an automation to only run the HVAC fan on an as needed basis. Basically, if CO2 in any one room rises above a set level -> turn on fan. If all rooms drop below the setpoint -> turn off fan. I actually do this in my older home that doesn't have an ERV. It keeps the CO2 levels averaged out throughout the house and buys me time till I can open some windows at night (hot southern climate). Hoping to add an ERV some day.

[@kameljoe21]

I want to find a ERV system that can extract not only fresh air, cold air and heat from outside to heat or cool the home. There are so many systems out there that just fail to provide. I want to build a slab on grade home with in floor heat (not geo thermo ) that is an all in one system that can heat domestic water along with extracting heat from the patio/concrete outside as well as heating or extracting heat from a pool. They make a smart water heater that you can hook up ducts that can pull in hot air from outside or from the room to heat the water as well. This type of smart system would be very ideal. I would also like to extract the heat from the heat pump for cooling as well to heat the domestic water as well. If I am using energy to cool the house then I want to use the waste heat to heat the hot water as well. I also want to use the cooling to cool the domestic cold water loop as well. The hot water will also be looped as well. I have yet to find a heat pump that does floor heat, hot water and ducted heat/cooling.

[@belg4mit]

@@kameljoe21 You can do what you are asking with geothermal, or an air to water heat pump. But I'm not sure why you want to pay for both ductwork and a radiant loop.

[@kameljoe21]

@@belg4mit I want central air and that requires duct work. No I do not want mini split systems because they have horriable filters. Have you ever had a window ac unit and even after one season cleaning the filter weekly the fins are still dirty. The same applies to those mini splits. Radiant heat works just fine yet if you have no way to filter the air then you might as well not even build anything. With new smart thermostats they have PPM and VOC sensors which means that if you fart the variable fan will kick up and filter that stink out with the HEPA filter. You cooking smells will not be a problem either. If you build several systems rather than a single unit you can say filter the bedrooms on their own systems which should be less damaging to the hepa filters, the kitchen on another system and then the other general living areas. This can be done using zones that have their own filtered returns rather than rely on a whole house filter. Pre filters at the returns and then your hepa filter. The pre filter will lessen how dirty your hepa filter will get. An all in one system will not only save you energy it will provide you with far more. Those smart water heaters that have built in heat exchangers just pump hot air from outside in thru ducts that heat the water, this takes less energy. Having heat reclaim units on say your ac, fridge/freezer would pre heat your water as well. There is so much wasted energy it is not funny.

[@RikuLeppanen]

Here in Germany we have a ground source heat pump system installed in our house. I has worked for 17 years now and we are very happy with it. Compared to your system, our pipes run horizontally under the garden of our house. It is a perfect system of heat collection. We did need to change the heat pump itself once already, so there are costs associated when maintaining the system. These days we see more and more air source heat pumps being installed here in Germany and it seems that they are the way to go for new houses. Along the way we also changed all of the light sources to LED. This has also been a pretty good saving in our energy usage.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

Are you using Bosch hardware? In the U.S. we've had problems getting dependable geothermal hardware. Bosch is now the go to here.

[@Iceeeen]

​@@sparksmcgee6641 Most manufactures use the same compressor, Copeland, mistubishi and a couple more. The rest is just fancy programing. Most running the compressor with a drive theese days. Same thing you find in you ac units. The go to brands are nibe, thermia, ctc, viessman and bosch in random order.... I got a used Viessman for my own use, had sprung a leak in the hot water tank so got it for about 500$, I installed my own logic on it and fitted it with a drive to modernise it and make it more efficent. I even know about a couple of guys the took the out door unit of a minisplit and fitted a heat exchanger to it to heat up there pool.

[@GibsonCRG]

My family is planning our own build in your neck of the woods, and while we may do slab-on-grade, we're going to bring the entire attic into the conditioned envelope. It is kind of like having a conditioned basement on top 🙂 But it does solve issues with planning, as future additions to network, electric, plumbing etc. can be run in the attic and dropped down into the living space without concern. And, no black mold!

[@ohary1]

I'd reconsider the basement. Construction cost is minimal. You need to dig at least 4' for frost anyway.

[@lindam.1502]

@@ohary1 Aussie here, why is that? We don’t have basements

[@Muhammad_Wahyudhi]

Matt Risinger on continuous insulation and monopoly framing (with overhang) could be a good reference.

[@bradforrester2417]

@@ohary1 Incorrect, basement construction costs are huge, insulating them is expensive aswell, and ongoing costs to heat it are there too. There are such things as frost-free (heavily insulated) slab foundations.

[@stefanwerner5799]

Our 1980s house is now net zero. With the addition of 29kWp of solar panels and an air source heat pump, it produces three times as much electricity as it consumes in a given year.

[@goldencedi5016]

That's amazing.

[@cadthunkin]

And how much did you spend on that? Do you worry about lithium mining?

[@iansheppard6735]

Assuming you have a more generative type of PV panel at say 0.45 kW.h each, that would equate to about 64 panels (29/0.45) - With each panel being about 2 square metres, that's about 128 square metres of panels, so that's one big house. The panels supply and fit cost would be anywhere between £500 to a £1000 each, plus the cost of the inverter. So that's somewhere between £32,500 and £64,500 just for the PV system. Plus, as it's an existing house you would of had to have paid for scaffolding Throw in another £8000 or so for the air source heat pump, again supply and fit - assuming you didn't have to buy bigger radiators as well. Now I appreciate prices can vary a lot and my figures are specific to England, but making a casual statement, like the one you did, is a bit disingenuous when you don't include the realities of the costs and the area required

[@Biggest-dh1vr]

Panels aren't that expensive - maybe £200-300 per panel installed in the UK.

[@stefanwerner5799]

@@cadthunkin There is no lithium in PV panels. You must be thinking of batteries? In Germany, panels can be had from as little as 70EUR for 400W+.

[@johnlabernik4599]

A veteran hvac business owner told he leaves his hvac fan on year round. Ultimately less wear and tear than starting and stopping and more even temperature.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

I'm a builder and HVAC contractor and a variable or 2 stage fan that you can leave on 24/7 is the single best thing you can do to improve livability. It's the reason top tier homes, which I worked on, no longer use in floor heat. It's better to circulate the air and make everything in te house the same temperature.

[@howebrad4601]

I've been told that too, and I've tried that but dislike the constant noise

[@chuckley54494]

@@johnlabernik4599 that's changed with co timeously variable units

[@danielmadar9938]

Beautiful. ❤ We used a combination of low tech (e.g. straw bales insulation over old concrete walls) and high tech (e.g. solar panels) solutions to our house 13 years ago. We produce 300% more energy than we use.

[@drachenfels6782]

The most epic is that heat pump dryer, in Europe we use a drying rack. Energy: 0KWH, Cost: 3.99$, limitation: space.

[@flingborg]

Don´t know about that, there are millions up on milions of heat pump dryers in Europe :)

[@pintovit]

I once complained to the wife why was she using the heat pump dryer in the summer... She ask me: what do you prefer? The dryer or the iron? I never asked again... Clothes come out almost wrinkle free and reduces the amount of ironing needed to a minimum and at the same time, it uses very little power.

[@wikingagresor]

@@pintovit drying rack also prevents wrinkles in clothing and is cheaper to maintain...

[@CamMcCulls-kx6zk]

As long as the rack is outside, otherwise you are adding humidity to your house, which has a high cost for removal or increases the cost of heating your home. Outdoor drying (solar) is always best.

[@wikingagresor]

@@CamMcCulls-kx6zk it is not so much humidity especially if you have venting.

[@bluerider0988]

Basement for sure. If you live in an area where you can have one do it. I realize it's more upfront cost, but i have never heard from anyone that they regretted having one. On the other hand I know a few people who opted to do a slab because the builder talked them into it and they have regretted it. As far as the heat pumps i think it really depends on the climate where you live. It's been a wash for the few people i know who have one. when it gets too cold in the winter and the heat pump can't keep up the electric heater strips come on and then your cost savings go straight out the window.

[@AT-bw4cm]

When it leaks, a basement is very expensive to get resealed. Geothermal pumps are ridiculously expensive. Either go normal build and get geothermal or invest in a tight build and get a regular heat pump at 1/3 the cost.

[@MrMorgsan]

Your house is the golden standard for new houses in Sweden. Minus the batteries - those are not economically viable here yet. We hope prices on batterys will drop soon.

[@98Zai]

I'd also like to add that this includes old houses as well. Most if not all are retrofitted with triple glazing and many with heat pumps, as well as solar panels. With a bit of luck we will see some developments in alternative battery tech before those chemical batteries become affordable.

[@ElectricNed]

Well Sw*den has lots of hydropower which is available all night, so reliance on intermittent solar for low carbon energy isn't your only option- nice!

[@VladislavRassokhin]

Not sure whether you need batteries if you can sell solar electricity back to the grid and grid is reliable. Batteries are not viable in most of the cases in Northern/Western Europe. One potential use case is to buy electricity when it's cheap (during the night), but it will take ages to pay off.

[@Matthew_Loutner]

The batteries are not economically viable in the U.S.

[@niktak1114]

Battery prices have dropped sharply this year. Grade A lifepo4 cells are about $100/kWh now.

[@TexasScout]

When we built our house five years ago we did an enclosed space in our attic. Spray foam insulation everywhere completely sealed. It is cool in the attic as it is in the house. I’m down here in South Texas near the coast and we’ve been very happy with the results and what we pay on our electricity bill.

[@nehpets216]

The set it and forget it is one of the main reasons the Geothermal looked so good to me.

[@drive2fast]

!!!! The USB power adapter at 10:44 is a RECALLED FIRE HAZARD.

[@mmroofs]

Hi Matt, I would recommend using radiant barrier sheathing instead of standard OSB. The cost difference is minimal, and I believe it would help lower the attic temperature on hot days.

[@grimzadi2480]

I had an electric induction range installed about two months ago. I had to replace all of my aluminum cookware, but damn was it worth it! Way better than even gas.

[@cliffordbradford8910]

Gas is garbage, unsafe and unhealthy. Induction #1, smooth top electric #2, gas last place. I'd prefer coil elements over gas

[@larrybremer4930]

I astonish people when I can boil any volume of water faster on my induction cooktop than the 1200W microwave can manage.

[@stadtaff1860]

@@larrybremer4930 Not once in my life i have ever heard someone using a microwave to boil water 🤯

[@coolingchips1410]

@@stadtaff1860 i usually do... to avoid emissions

[@Harry_Gersack]

​@@stadtaff1860 Ich glaub Wasser in der Mikrowelle is n amerikanisches ding 😂

[@paulgracey4697]

Born in New England but living in Southern California for four fifths of my life I have a different strategy to reducing my home energy costs. Like you I have turned to heat pumps, but also have the advantage of solar for the hot water I use. It preheats the input for the tankless gas water/space heater now, but when I first installed it I did not use any gas for several months. That was because I also converted my formerly gas clothes dryer to heat pump the hard way: I tore out the gas burner and redirected the exhaust into a plenum box attached to the input of a dehumidifier, whose outlet was similarly ducted to where the gas dryer input air was located. Recirculation during the timed "air fluff" cycle completes the process with the benefit of clothing that needs little to no ironing. A month or two after that conversion, I received a knock at the door from a gas company representative, inquiring if my gas appliances had stopped working. Adding that tankless back-up system took care of that while later on getting an induction cooker tends to keep my gas use at a bare minimum.

[@timdere]

Thanks for taking us through your journey. I'm very interested in hearing what your wife thinks about all this tech, how she has been adjusting to it, and what she likes most about the home.

[@parikshithmechenini-f4q]

I would vent out the heatpump dryer exaust. The energy required to dehumifiy the water from the air will be an order of magnitude more than the hot/cold air lost. If possible feed this exaust to the stale air inlet side of your HRV

[@peterirvin7121]

Heat backup may be a resistive heater (heat strips) added to your water source heat pump to provide supplementary heating on the coldest days.

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

he has a ground source geothermal heat pump ... the ground temp is around 50F regardless of the air temp even on the coldest days... why its so freaking cool and why I really want one too :)

[@peterirvin7121]

@@TwoBitDaVinci Yes I am familiar with the topic. I used to sell commercial AC equipment. There is a limit to how much heat they can move from the ground into the building. If the temperature outside is low enough, resistive heating may be used to compensate for the increased rate of heat transfer out of the building. They typically wire the backup resistive heating to a separate circuit breaker, which is why there is a category for "backup heat" in the power monitoring app.

[@cros13]

It's likely the heating element on the hot water tank bringing the temp up occasionally above 65C a couple of times a month to prevent bacterical growth in the tank. As likely the heat pump would only bring the water in the tank to 48C for normal household use. Some of the very newest air to water heat pumps just out this year here in Ireland can hit 75C for this purpose (and to allow better compatibility with retrofits/radiators) without using a resistive heating element... but every heat pump setup I've seen previously has a heating element in the water tank for this purpose.

[@jphvac5725]

Every geo I’ve installed in Kentucky has a backup strip heat for those colder days or times we’re temps were turned up over 6° above ambient.

[@eDoc2020]

@@cros13 I think the water heater only has one power input. It will run the resistive elements if needed but it won't show up any differently on the Span panel.

[@MarkShapiro-m8r]

Excellent! You used every tool AND showed us how and the results. Here's what I'd love to see developed next: 1. Power over Ethernet (POE) wiring to supply the lighting (LED) and electronics and communication. It's less expensive and more efficient. 2. Optimized air flow. Short, fat, straight ducts give you the most comfort at the lowest cost. How do we incorporate that into our "perfect homes" with so many varied shapes? 3. Optimized plumbing layout. Shorter pipes means lower cost and less waiting for the shower to warm up. Gary Klein has all the data; he's smart and entertaining. Thanks again!

[@SilverSmrfr]

Light powered over POE sounds awesome. Do you have any recomendations?

[@MarkShapiro-m8r]

@@SilverSmrfr Actually Matt did a video last about POE and other tech in the Hotel Marcel renovation to passivhaus and net zero. Google "Hotel Marcel power over ethernet" for details from the hotel and from suppliers. The market is still in its infancy, but every architect, builder, electrical contractor, engineer, and Home Depot should be learning. I hope Matt tells us more about his network closet, since he has a lot of AV and home security gear. There's more info at Wikipedia, reddit, Cisco, Netgear.

[@2036scott]

POE is expensive to do, it all proprietary hardware. I'd love to install it in my current house renovation but at every avenue I come to a company wanting thousands for some components.

[@lauriviik]

Point 2. If you optimize vents too much you will have sound problem between rooms. Rooms will be connected by short large pipe transfering your every fart sound to next room. Use mufflers and bends to deaden sound before it reaches next opening.

[@jfbeam]

POE is neither of those things, but keep telling yourself that. ('tho it is very neat.)

[@samsaxe-taller7145]

I believe I have a ventless heat pump dryer, and it has unfortunately been a maintenance nightmare. Despite cleaning the lint screen after every wash, lint has more than once now clogged a pump in the back of the dryer that can only get fixed through an expensive technician visit. We are sadly considering going back to a regular electric dryer setup because it is becoming such a headache. I really hope this issue can be fixed in future heat pump dryer designs.

[@nicolecarter1072]

Hang your washing outside (or even inside) to dry. Clothes driers aren't necessary except for a rare occasion, or even at all.

[@jameshodgetts7541]

@@nicolecarter1072 And thats great when the climate you live in allows for that. Im here in the UK in a victorian property. Not having a tumble dryer is a nightmare in the autumn and winter. Drying outside is extremely limited due to rain and damp conditions during these months. And drying inside creates an unhealthy damp house (you're already battling the high humidity) which ends damaging the fabric of the house (blown plaster and paint, condensation everywhere, rotting wooden parts like joists) and mould - oh such mould. You just end up with the central heating on full blast and running dehumidifiers - costing much much more than just running a tumble dryer...

[@JHe-f9t]

I don't have a ventless dryer, but I have friends that do, and boy are they not selling me on one. Appliance manufacturers have made a lot of money on people's assumptions that the product they buy will work as well as the products they've had before.

[@bausHuck]

I recently built a new house as well. I went full electric with a geothermal heat pump system. It has been amazing so far. I do have solar and a Powerwall but they were activated after summer, so I will probably not know how well everything works together until January. My geothermal does my hot water as well. I have been running the system with set times and temps, but I think I will try the 'on all the time' approach once summer has past and I have more ideas on how we want the system to work. Australian summers can be pretty intense. My house is 270 square meters, and costs about the same to run as just the electricity costs of my old house (192 square meters). But my old house had to pay more for gas. I also have an EV now, and that costs way less than petrol. Overall, I believe I am saving around $5000 a year compared to my older, smaller house.

[@cliffordbradford8910]

I've lived in central Connecticut for the last 18 months (i.e. 2 summers) in a much older house than Matt's that has no air conditioning and I wonder if a well designed house in the NE needs much in the way of air conditioning. If you have ceiling fans and maybe dehumidification there's like a couple weeks where it's uncomfortably hot in the summer and that's it. One thing I like about radiators for heat is how quiet it is not having the sound of forced air. Maybe some minisplits for cooling the bedrooms which are super cheap now and a heat pump to heat water for the radiators. I know these are available in Europe but they're not common in North America

[@veltcardio]

Regarding drying can always do what we do in poorer countries and just dry the clothes outside in the sun, use the dryer only when weather is bad. I’m always amazed at the dryer use in America in perfectly fine weather

[@rodneymeyer2923]

Many HOA prohibit cloth lines.

[@EfficientEnergyTransformations]

Well you know, usually most Americans are very efficient in wasting energy for needless activities. especially ones that can afford that.

[@phhdvm]

well, at least half the year where I live. They freeze very solid a good part of the year.

[@jsbrads1]

I had no choice in India, I will make a condition on accepting a future contract that it must include a dryer. Clothing feels rough after clothesline drying and there are days when it isn’t an option.

[@afaulconbridge]

Outside is better for the clothes too - all the lint in a dryer has been stripped off the clothes!

[@tims8603]

I live in WI so a full basement is always the best. Half my house is on a basement the other half is floor joists on a slab. There's a huge difference in the comfort level of the two parts in winter. Of course, my house is old.

[@nonameoutdoors-c7k]

Fellow Wisconsinite here, built a new house 3 years ago, full basement setup. We used 2" foam under slab and have the pipe for in floor heat set. Still need to purchase and setup the in floor heating system. I'm thinking on running a heat pump water heater for it. The basement typically has been around 70 degrees all year.

[@grubbehyresbostad2363]

@@nonameoutdoors-c7k @tims8603 Buffer tank works very well. 👍 Pay attention to Primary circulation pump (nr1) ”in the heat pump” and secondary (no2) circulation pump (fördelning/bypass) pipes. The plumber must know how to connected. Secondary CP = low rpm. (One pipe should be max 70 meter, 16mm) Secondary circuit recommended lower than Primary CP. If primary circuit CP is resting, (radiator is warm =no need heat circulation) the floor heating pipes cannot get heat. Solution: Buffet tank. -But, we have here in chilly Northern Sweden also another modules, for basement, which works very well. Exhaust air heating module, dries basements. I do not had to use drying cabinets or dryers. With the exhaust air module dries laundry in 2-4 hours, depending on how much air I choose for HP to deliver. Frånluftsmodul Nibe F135 - Öresunds VVS AB

[@lauriviik]

​@@nonameoutdoors-c7k holy hell, 2 inches of insulation is almost same as nothing. Is that normal? I would consider minimum foam (xps) insulation under the "floor on ground" 8 inches living in similar winter temps. But then again, europe cares about energy efficency, so thats normal for us.

[@nonameoutdoors-c7k]

@@lauriviik the 2" XPS foam is at 10 feet underground, 9 ft basement walls. Yes the 2 inches of foam board is what was recommended by my local HVAC company

[@imbologna]

I grew up in a tiny 800sf, 2 bed home. I now own one that is about 3 times that size, but more efficient, I used to think I wanted something larger, but now my goal is something extremely efficient like you've built here. This content is really inspiring.

[@johnnorris3409]

I'm thinking of moving into a renovated (and extended) Welsh cottage, 1 bed, 270sf... but with an air source heat pump 😃

[@SweBeach2023]

An 800 square feet home is not tiny.

[@lindam.1502]

@@SweBeach2023 Compared to regular homes it is! Mine is that size,perfect for 3 people

[@Nnn-j7q]

​@@lindam.1502 wtf out of touch

[@heclanet]

Here in Paraguay it is not common to use thermal insulation being that it reaches 46° Celsius, now I am building our house and although I am going to spend much more I want to do it using good thermal insulation to achieve good efficiency with the use of air conditioning. On the other hand, everything here is made with concrete and bricks, almost no prefab materials are used

[@HappyFlappyFarm]

After years of planning we are finally getting our new house built. We decided on ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) construction for the energy efficiency and strength in our tornado and high wind prone area of the southeast US. I have been watching the channel for energy efficient ideas and have selected heat pump HVAC with an ERV, triple glazed European style windows, and heat pump dryer. Our attic will be conditioned and our sloping land begged for a basement. We are building a small house but with the basement we can finish and expand if needed. I worked with our architect to add ‘forever home’ aspects that will help us age in place. We bought an induction cooktop for our workshop studio apartment (temporary housing until the house is built) and love it. Thank you Matt for giving us detailed information on all of these new technologies!

[@GetzAI]

Matt (Build Show) put the network gear and audio amps in a closet where the heat could feed the hot water heater. Nice touch!!

[@jfbeam]

Or put it near an air return so it's pumped throughout the house.

[@gardenrailroading]

Love your forever home! We started building our forever home in 1989, Washington State's "Super Good Sense Home" program. We have two heat pumps and a 2640 square foot home, currently burning 20 to 30 KW's per Day. We are adding to our existing solar in January, currently we have 10-400 watt panels, we are adding 34 panels and 20KW's of battery backup. We also have two EV's to charge.

[@ralpharmsby8040]

That's a v low electricity consumption. We had an ASHP installed in June and now we have started to heat the house the system is using about 170kwh a month.

[@gardenrailroading]

@@ralpharmsby8040 Thanks for the catch, I meant to say 20 to 30 KWs per Day.

[@royce_beyer]

I have a feeling that within my lifetime, if things go well, energy independence will be the standard of living not the exception

[@BrandNameBullets]

If your heat pump is like mine, the "heat backup" is a large resistive element that is installed inline to provide warmth when the heat pump can't meet the house's demand. I have an air-to-air system instead of geothermal, but if the outside temperature ever goes below -11F it can draw up to 10kW to heat metal coils, space-heater style. Ours has never kicked on in the year that we've had it, but at that kind of power draw even a few cold nights could cause that 4% consumption.

[@robertfeliciano5723]

I plan to place my server equipment next to a heat pump water heater. Safe enough away so a leak doesn't damage anything.

[@backcountryFLcyclist]

Your entire homestead is cool, but seems really complicated. I installed an induction cooktop in my newly built home and so glad I did! Quickly boil water and cleanup is easy. Not to mention it is much safer compared to natural gas and electric element cooktops.

[@JMgmkh]

Yes. If you croak tomorrow , will your wife be able to run it all ?

[@danilooliveira6580]

the point was trying to make a net-zero home that is as efficient as possible, while still offering maximum comfort. that is why it's complicated. not every house needs to be this complicated.

[@backcountryFLcyclist]

@@JMgmkh Exactly what I was thinking! My wife can't even operate our backup generator let alone all the gadgets to run this house!

[@UndecidedMF]

The smart home setup ... no, she has zero interest in that stuff. But everything else, absolutely ... the basic house functions are really easy to manage. I've layered on some smart home complicated stuff for my own enjoyment/tinkering, but it's not necessary for the basic functioning.

[@rustyshackle917]

This house will be a nightmare long-term because it is so tech intensive. Net-zero is great but I don't see anything sustainable about this home.

[@Fyrestryke10]

@undecidedMF The "heat backup" is almost certainly an electric coil heater in your air handler, which is designed to handle fast drops in temperature a heat pump cannot deal with. A secondary heat source is required by code in Ontario where I'm a builder, and I assume it would be the same in any northern states which experience similar weather patterns .

[@priestesslucy]

Yeah, in cold climates it makes a lot of sense to incorporate some thermal mass and run your heat pump during the day to bank heat for the winter night to minimize the odds of needing that backup. If your locale allows, I'm a big proponent of wood stoves, at least as a bonus heat source for super cold nights. If you really really hate the idea of a wood stove in your house (or your insurance company does) there are theoretical ways to integrate a heat pump condenser with a semi outdoors wood stove. An attached greenhouse is maybe?

[@Loz__]

It could also be the heating elements in the hot water tank used to raise the temperature every couple of weeks to kill bacteria.

[@EnterNoEscape]

Also many heat pumps turn it on while in a defrost cycle for comfort because the air blowing into the house during that time will be cold. I disabled that feature on mine because it's only cold air for a short amount of time and the heating more than makes up for it. It's still active as a backup for extreme temperatures. My heat pump kept up every day of this past winter in the northeast including several days in the mid teens. Those heat strips use a lot of power compared to running the heat pump a little longer.

[@rzezzy1713]

​@@EnterNoEscape Defrost doesn't really apply to geothermal heat pumps, since they aren't subject to near-freezing ambient temps. Their heat source, if sufficiently deep underground, will always be very consistent at approximately 55°F.

[@thefooshisloose]

I think he knows that but in IMHO I don't think his geothermal needs backup unless he is in -20F temps since it can handle below zero very well.

[@ronquiring7796]

I have found the progress of your home build very interesting. I also appreciate your candor as youve described your decision making processes and challenges along the way. My main concern always has been and continues to be the financial cost involved with all the highly efficient tech. These costs are not only very high on initial purchase but also high to repair and eventually replace. Much of this is beyond the ability of the majority of us to afford.

[@UndecidedMF]

Glad you've been enjoying the home build series. The upfront cost is definitely a barrier, but those costs are coming down. Matt Risinger on his channel has covered some builders using some pretty simple methods to achieve similar results (ie. less money). I'm not sure if the higher cost repairs issue is true though from everything I've learned and seen. One way to look at this is that the US is finally catching up to European building standards, which is a great thing for energy efficiency.

[@SamFigueroa]

I would bet most of the cost is from initial installation and materials and replacements/repairs are a lot less intensive.

[@thoughtfulskeptic7529]

@@SamFigueroa Keep in mind that our channel host is an early adopter when it comes to at least some of this stuff, and early adopters always pay more. In particular, I feel that the solar industry is in a consumer-unfriendly space right now in terms of standard contracts, and is also on the cusp of some really game-changing breakthroughs (some of which I learned about right here on Undecided). I just bought a single-story condo in Southern California, and I have the right to put solar on if I want (HOAs aren't allowed to reject proposals for solar here), but I'm going to wait a couple of years until things shake out a bit, and I'll keep an eye on the tech until then. No, I won't get the benefits for a few years, but I think I'll have better technology, a better deal contractually, and I'll be far happier with both in the long run.

[@thoughtfulskeptic7529]

Actually, I think my reply is more for @ronquiring7796. Sorry for any confusion.

[@johndunn3492]

I replaced my gas burner with an induction about a year ago, and I love it. No fumes, no dangerous flame to think about. It’s quite sensitive, perhaps not quite as sensitive as gas, but I’m very happy with it. I got one with knobs so it’s more convenient to use than the kind where you have to keep pressing buttons not quite sure why there’s such strong emotions about this. What next, a duel to the death about tankless water heaters?

[@Sean-km7ht]

Another benefit of the Induction cooktop is that it doesn't heat the air around the the pan. My mother saw her kitchen stop getting hot after cooking anything unless somebody uses the oven. Not only does it use less energy, it creates less waste heat that would need to be managed. I am curious what the maintenance is like for the ground loop, expected life of the loop itself, and potential repair costs if it needs any.

[@jeffdaley67]

Great video Matt, We have a similar house just north of Toronto Canada with geothermal, desuperheater, heat pump water heater, 2 EVs and solar panels which we have lived in for about 8 years. We are net zero +/- a few percent depending on variations in weather from year to year. Some insight into your energy use. The whole house dehumidifier is largely driven by your ERV running during the summer months. Whenever it's hot and humid the ERV brings in a considerable amount of humidity despite the fact that some of it is rejected to the outdoors via the ERV core. You could try accepting a slightly higher CO2 level when it is humid outside. What we do when the dewpoint is high during the day and low at night is not run the ERV during the day and run it at night, CO2 does accumulate during the day but drops over night and this minimizes or eliminates dehumidifier use on these days. It generally stays below 1,500 ppm during the day and can drop as low as 600 ppm over night, it can take until late afternoon before it surpasses 1,000 ppm. You may be able to adjust the cfm of the ERV or use a 20 minute per hour timer to prevent over-ventilating and unnecessary energy waste from the dehumidifier. The geothermal backup heat is when the geothermal heat pump is not able to meet the heating load on its own and brings on a 5kW or 10kW electric resistance heater to supplement the heat pump's output. If you want to reduce or eliminate this energy use you can adjust the thermostat settings to allow a larger temperature delta before the backup heat comes on. In our house the thermostat is set at 70 but the electric backup only comes on if the temperature drops below 65. Sometimes the temperature drops overnight to 66 and when the sun comes up and the outdoor temperature warms up the house to 70 without using the backup. The downside is that the temperature gets as low as 66 and may take until noon to recover to 70. I am curious what your backup heat temperature delta is set at. As far as the fully ducted ERV this is what we have and it works great. Our house is a 1,400 square foot bungalow with a basement. Initially my idea was the same as yours in that the ERV would effectively distribute fresh air without needing to run the furnace fan. What discovered is that when the furnace fan isn't running the basement gets cool enough on sunny days that the humidity exceeds 55%. Running the furnace fan keeps the basement temperature higher and thus the relative humidity lower than what it would be otherwise so we leave it on 24 hours a day. You have the ability to adjust the geothermal fan speed, set it as low as possible to minimize energy use.

[@extragoode]

I thought one of the big selling points of geothermal heat pump over air source is that you don't need backup heat. The temperature of the earth 400 feet down should be pretty consistent and the heat loss of a house that heavily insulated and sealed should also be quite consistent relative to the outside temperature, so if the geothermal isn't sufficient to heat the house it sounds like too small of a system was installed, but maybe that was intentional to save costs. We have an air source heat pump in central Iowa and we're still running backup propane heat for 40% of our winter heating, a lot of that is defrosting. Matt's backup heat use is only 20% of his heating costs, so that's better, but for the cost I'd want it to be a lot less than that.

[@jeffdaley67]

@@extragoode in general a geothermal system uses less backup heat than air source but that is no guarantee that it will be no backup at all. Geothermal systems are generally manufactured in full ton sizes, this appears to be a 3 ton system. Maybe it needed 3.1 tons but you can't buy a 3.1 ton unit, you can get 3 or 4. The step up to a 4 ton system and a 4 ton ground loop, Larger ductwork etc may have had an extremely long payback period not to mention the larger unit and ductwork would take up more space in the house. At least the geothermal continues to run when the backup is operating, if it is 5kw of backup heat the geothermal is still doing about 2/3 of the work. With a propane backup it can't run at the same time as the heat pump so when the backup comes on the heat pump switches off. If it were an electric backup with the air source heat pump they can run together. You brought up another good point that the geothermal system does not defrost whereas air source does defrost. The differences between ground source and air source are not black and white but there are many nuances that differentiate them.

[@extragoode]

@@jeffdaley67 that's a good point that an undersized unit may have been a closer fit than the next bigger unit and that the backup runs at the same time. If I'd have known the propane required the heat pump to shut down completely I probably would've done something different. The installer really didn't know enough to tell me what I didn't know. They said I needed 20kw of resistive heat for backup and I only had room in the panel for 5kw. Also said it'd be another 10 grand to upgrade the panel. Nevermind they could've installed a subpanel for the resistive backup for 1000. I've also done testing since with 4 resistive heaters only and that kept the house warm with about 8kw, so 5kw and the pump would probably do it. We also have a propane fireplace if we really need it, but I try not to use that since it's only about 70% efficient.

[@jeffdaley67]

@@extragoode one way to run the heat pump and the propane backup at the same time is to have a boiler or tankless water heater heating a hydronic coil (think car radiator) downstream of the heat pump fan coil but this can be expensive and the heat pump system designer and installer really have to know what they are doing.

[@extragoode]

@@jeffdaley67 That's a cool idea and I already have a propane tankless water heater and a recirculation pump, but there's no way I'd get my installer to do that and it'd make an already complicated system more complicated. I'll keep balancing my disconnected resistive heaters with the heat pump thermostat (poor man's backup) for the dozen or so days a year it's below 10F outside until the next time I need to replace the furnace and/or the panel.

[@ecoworrier]

I was thinking about a heat pump dryer. But for the last 11 years in my passive house i just hang the laundry from a ceiling rack dryer (family of 5). The heat recovery ventilation keeps the interior air pretty dry and so it works well. The excess moisture ends up condensing in that MVHR (releasing the heat taken from the house for evaporation)"and running down the drain.

[@creativecraving]

💯 When you measure the difference in energy efficiency, you also have to calculate the ROI. (How many dollars / kilowatts per year will it save you?) If it takes forever to make your money back, then there are better ways to spend your money --- likely including in efficiency gains elsewhere.

[@aliottoman1451]

Air heat pumps require a lot of energy to run. 11kWh in one case... how do you deal with that?

[@salibaba]

When your whole house becomes a giant heat pump dryer. Except you live in it too 😂 Remember to check the lint trap 😂

[@25566]

@@ecoworrier dry it outdoors..

[@ecoworrier]

@aliottoman1451 I have three phase 220V. The house supply can deliver 22KW if needed. My car charger uses 11KW with no problems.

[@ascienceguy-5109]

I have a ground-source heat pump for both heat and cooling in my home near Denver, with solar PV panels on the roof. I have a in-floor hydronic heat delivery system for all rooms, which I love, and do keep unused rooms at a cooler temp. I have high-velocity air cooling for most rooms. I also use the set-it-and-forget-it approach to keep the room temperatures steady, however I do turn off heating at some point in the spring and let the room tempters fluctuate as they will. Likewise I turn on the cooling system in the early summer when it gets "too hot." And turn on the heating system when it gets "too cold" in the fall. That saves some (unknown) amount of energy, and is not uncomfortable. I also retrofit my 1929 house with insulation (it previously had no insulation in the walls), modern windows and doors and other air sealing measures. In the end improving the building envelope reduced the grid energy consumption by 40%, and switching from natural gas to ground-source with PV reduced that by 51% for a total of 91% reduction of grid energy consumption.

[@Omapk]

Heat backup is the resistive coils on your HVAC for when the outside temp is too cold for your system to keep up. Heat pumps have this too- if the temperature outside is too cold there's no difference over the coils great enough to move the outside heat inside it needs to supplement it with basic simple resistive heaters.

[@willsparklin]

tilt-turn windows are sooooo nice. Shame they're not more popular in the US.

[@gregp.7148]

Hey Matt, first of all, great meeting and talking to you at Everything Electric show the other week! It was a pleasure. Second, I have been able to get the following upgrades done in and around our house in the last 18 months: 1. replaced 10+ year old gas furnace with American Standard air-sourced heat pump (#1 on Consumer Reports’ list and now we can cool too!), 2. upgraded our electrical service to 200 Amps, 3. replaced 40+ year old windows, 4. replaced both ICE vehicles with EVs, 5. replaced 11-year old leaky gas HWT with a Rheem regular electric one that has 51% more capacity (couldn’t justify the 3x cost and 50% smaller capacity heat pump one). Government rebates and zero interest financing made the heat pump and window upgrades significantly less costly and as a result viable to us.

[@moe85moe85]

Wow that the networking equipment is using so much power!

[@hideawayhomesllc5103]

As a builder in Colorado's high country for 30+ years - no ridge vents? Yikes! I had to edit to say that this is a wonderful, well thought out house and that I thoroughly enjoy your videos and expertise.

[@janmilissen2999]

No ridge vents here anywhere (Belgium) 😉

[@andreasgiobel6355]

We have the same setup here in Sweden, but we removed ERV -energy circulation as it had a pay-off time for 30 years. We added a smart mechanical exhaust fans that adjust exhaust depending on season-people-heat from sun etc. Works great

[@chrisdaniel1339]

***Backup heat*** is an electric resistance heating element in your air handler, if the geothermal heat pump is unable to reach the set temp in your home because of very cold outside temps then it kicks on the backup heating element to bring the house to the set temp. The backup heat may also kick on if you raise the set temp more that 1-2°F at any one time. EX: you just get home from dinner out and the house is cold, you increase the set temp from 70-75°F, the system knows it will take a while to get there with the geothermal heat pump alone, so it kicks on the back up heating element to give you heat quickly. Is there a reason why you did not build a poured concrete UCF home with extra thick insulation? ICF homes are incredibly air tight, ultra energy efficient because of superior insulation but also because of the large thermal mass of the poured concrete core in the walls. It looks like you went with SIP panel construction, is that correct? Is there a reason you did not use a German made Stieble Eltron whole house tankless electric water heater especially since you have solar power? They make single residential units up to 36kw(they have larger commercial units too) then there is zero energy/money wasted on keeping a tank of water hot because there is no tank, in fact it would work perfectly with the heat recovery tank you have in your home. I have a 29kw unit in my home and it is amazing, I have endless hot water should I have guests taking multiple showers. I did a test, I turned every hot water tap and shower on and the tankless water heater worked as stated.

[@lmo0]

We looked at building an "R2000" (then super energy efficient) home in the 80's and was advised by a friend to be very careful what we brought into the house as the chemicals from the construction materials such as carpet, paint, flooring, cupboards, insulation etc. would be gassing off for years, and that an air tight house with limited fresh air from an air to air heat exchanger could be an unheathly environment with a steady low level of toxins (primarily petroleum based). And then you look at cleaning chemicals. So maybe check more that CO2 levels.

[@eyetok_alot]

i saw a video about building the overhang of the roof in a way that you catch the sun heating through your windows in the winter, but cast shade on your windows during summer. That might help a lot in getting a net zero house

[@sergiotavares8736]

That's very interesting. Can you share a link to the video?

[@lauriviik]

Thats not a way to build, its just building it long enough to shade summer sun. Just look at what angle sun is during summer and draw line from windowcat that angle to know how far your gutter should reach.

[@pauls4708]

@@sergiotavares8736 its a well known design. Any architect will have the knowledge to do this. The house should be placed on site to make the best use of the sun and the overhang width should also be optimised for the above effect

[@Eponymous300]

Another unmentioned thing in this video is related to this issue of the sunshine: how is the house oriented? Was any consideration given to that?

[@eyetok_alot]

@@sergiotavares8736 i don't remember which video it was, but if you search a large greenhouse in canada, you should find it, i will look also, and post it here if i find it

[@Spollekop]

In floor heating is really nice to have. A room feels warmer when your feet are nice and toasty.

[@philkester11]

Have 4% on your back up heat normally your heat pump produces your heat, but there is times when it’s not producing enough so it it will turn on the burners in your furnace to supply extra heat. I believe that’s correct.

[@DrewHaughton]

QUICK REMINDER: If you have a mud room, close the door when you use your dryer. Air will come in from the exhaust fan, when not running, instead of the whole house.

[@edstahl5651]

In a future episode I hope you can provide a cost benefit analysis or payback of your geothermal system as compared to a modern heat pump. Thanks.

[@lindam.1502]

Geothermal is ridiculously expensive- depending upon the depth of the dig. It’ll always be cheaper to run rcacs (reverse cycle air conditioners) instead, not sure if that works in snow, though.

[@eDoc2020]

@@lindam.1502 Geothermal is always cheaper in the long run but the payback period can be decades. For an existing house in typical climates it's likely not worth it but I imagine that it would be much cheaper to install the ground loop before the house is built.

[@bobm3477]

Just an opinion but I would think that a basement could provide better cooling in the summer. The air doesn't get as hot. During summer I open the access to my attic to allow the hot air an escape route. That also keeps the attic cooler. I also spend more time in the basement. As I live on a hill it is mainly at ground level.

[@gohawksthailand3366]

Heat back up is most likely your back up electric heat strips in your air handler. I would assume they kick on when your geo thermal system cant provide the desired heat temperature. Heat pumps use these as well. Heating you house to 72 is pretty crazy... Try lowering your deaired tdmp to 68 or 70 and you might eliminate that 5% of energy usage.

[@sirkingjamz101]

Honestly the algorithm feeds your content to me so often I didn't even notice i wasnt subbed, so i changed that today.

[@Binary_Omlet]

@@sirkingjamz101 and I didn't notice till I saw your comment! So thanks!

[@loganzcai]

The water heater looks impossible to change at 1:20 without cutting all the copper pipes

[@bradleylauterbach7920]

@@loganzcai i think it probably comes out towards the left, there's only one pipe that would need to move

[@ipon70]

You should have included the models and places to buy the stuff you showed. Like the CO2 sensors.

[@robintaillandier4479]

Thanks for the video! I have a ground source heat pump in a cold climate (I live in Stockholm) and I have the same experience as you have with wasting more than saving energy when trying to micro-manage temperatures. Watching the HeatGeek channel a few months back convinced me that I was doing it wrong, and since then I have adjusted my settings to try and heat all the time (in winter months ofc), all the house, with lower water temperature than before, which improved my efficiency quite a bit. I even had tado smart radiator valves to control room by room the temperature, but that I now set only to avoid overshooting temperature to uncomfortable levels (which can happen in very sunny winter days).

[@gbsbill]

Thank you Matt, I have no experience with this but I will consider a heat pump hot water heater when it is time to replace this natural gas fired one. Side note: I do use a home monitoring system and It saved me because it detected a water leak the expansion tank on the hot water heater broke and the hot water talk would trip the over flow at night after showers and we went to bed. Solving this saved us thousands I am sure. The replacement tank was only $35 and about 15 minutes to install. Love the channel keep up the good work and I am looking forward to part 2.

[@erikslagter3231]

This has been standard for so long in Holland. if you ever get to build a new house, go strawbale and you will not regret it. It's just so much more comfortable. Clay plaster does something, that makes it feel good. Dry wall is so harsh

[@Merrinen]

I really dislike this trend of kitchen appliances and other electronic devices not having actual buttons.

[@placeholdername0000]

Yeah, it seemed very nice when I first got it, but it's so much easier to just turn a button to adjust the power.

[@dutchdykefinger]

@@placeholdername0000 yes, good old potentiometers are the shit

[@danilooliveira6580]

I personally don't mind it. but they should ALWAYS have tactile feedback options for disabled people.

[@ecoworrier]

Much easier to clean a flat surface than under and around buttons. Some induction hobs have a magnetic wheel you can place (and remove) to control the heat

[@jackinthebox301]

@@ecoworrier We invented inset, rubber covered buttons like a hundred years ago. The designers who put these things together are obsessed with the sleek minimalist 'modern' look. They don't really care about tactile comfort/usability.

[@jimalldridge2170]

The best thing about induction cooktops is how easy they are to clean. Sometimes I let pots boil over just to show how easy it is to clean up.

[@lindam.1502]

Nice

[@dermotbalaam5358]

My induction cook top has boil over protection

[@NagolM]

A basement costs a bit to make it right, but I think it helps, but it depends on where you are. I am in Canada so it is more normal here.

[@hiDorman]

You can cut your dryer expenses by using a drying rack in the most dehumidified area of the house. Usually, you don’t need clothes right now, therefore you can fix humidity levels and dry close with no expense except time. I live in one bedroom flat in Eastern Europe and in winter this trick helps me a lot.

[@yupsir791]

Attic ridge vent is a solution to a problem that shouldnt exist. Make the attic part of envelope of the house. Humidity and temperature will be balanced and the conditions for dew wont be present.

[@thekinginyellow1744]

This makes a huge difference! I built my house this way, and do not regret it.

[@extragoode]

Attics are vented because it's easier to blow insulation in on the floor than it is to insulate the roof. May could've put the attic in the envelope and used it to store and run all his utilities, getting all the advantages of a basement without paying for one.

[@cros13]

Heat Backup is likely the heating element on the hot water tank bringing the temp up occasionally above 65C a couple of times a month to prevent bacterical growth in the tank. As likely the heat pump would only bring the water in the tank to 48C for normal household use. Some of the very newest air to water heat pumps just out this year here in Ireland can hit 75C for this purpose (and to allow better compatibility with retrofits/radiators) without using a resistive heating element... but every heat pump setup I've seen previously has a heating element in the water tank for this purpose.

[@jvepps]

The high buy in and high repair cost coupled with poor reliability of some of those consumer appliances negates any savings you would have made in the end. Sometimes a less efficient choice still comes out ahead case and point Speed Queens vs anything. Id like to see you revisit this in 5-10-20 years.

[@ZacharyKurtz]

Upgraded our hot water heater recently to a heat pump heater and we love it. Our electric bill is down and as a bonus we get a little extra cold air blowing into one of our hallways.

[@crazycgames]

In SWFL and ended up getting a Rheem heat pump water heater and agree, even without anything fancy to pre-condition the water, only using about 88kwh in the summer to keep my water hot (we leave it at 140), with the added benefit that it's also helping to cool my house down!

[@sbk2207]

0:17 you didn't mention that white metal roof.

[@Delosian]

You made an interesting point about heating constantly versus certain times of the day. We found that keeping the heat pump going 24/7 was cheaper than only using it when we are home, timed to start an hour before we get home, and to click off when we all usually leave for the day. From what I can figure out the heat pump has to go through a defrost cycle when it turns on, which draws a lot of energy. Secondly, when the heat is removed all the furniture, walls, floor and ceiling loses thermal energy and the heat pump has to heat them back up to warm up the rooms. Lastly, during the day the windows act like a glasshouse so the amount of heat needed to maintain is pretty minimal. As for the roof space, controversial take here, I don't like how modern homes have the roof space open to the outside environment, I would rather use a dehumidifier and keep it warm so that the thermal energy can be used by the HRV system, and to stop the heat from rising into the roof space.

[@type17]

Yep, my heat pump installer told us to leave it on, to "keep up, not catch up". Way cheaper to run that way.

[@justinchipman1925]

On a station that is R-45 thick with puns, "Watt and See" is above and beyond.... now back to actually watching the video! I am currently planning a small home in Northern California (Arcata/Eureka) so a much easier design environment (The home I stay in when I visit has no heating beyond a wood stove and no AC. Summer temps rarely exceed 80 and winter temps rarely drop below 40.) Anyhoo, I've helped people build a couple of Earth Ships in Colorado and I'll be interested to see how your home performs.... in the next dang video! Ooooof.

[@dertythegrower]

hempcrete is superior than concrete

[@UndecidedMF]

😂 Yeah, that pun was a little strong. Very cool stuff about the Earth Ships you helped build in Colorado. I'm fascinated by all the different approaches that are out there. There's no one size fits all technique. So many great options.

[@Espr14]

You can use your heat pump (HP) hot water generator for dehumidifying and save a lot of energy. Just run the wet air through air-air heat exchanger, cool it with "waste" cold air from the HP and then back through the heat exchanger. You will get air of the same temperature (almost) and it will be much dryer.

[@bluesky55667]

The back-up heat on your heat pump is most likely the electric heat that runs for defrost or extreme cold. It's the biggest energy difference between a heat pump and straight cool AC system. An air handler can be on a 20 amp 240v breaker except for the heat kit, which requires a 30-60 amp breaker depending on the size

[@kirkwagner461]

I can't speak for the energy saving stuff, but I can speak towards a basement. I'm currently living in a slab foundation (no basement) home. And I swear I will never live in one again.This home is now old enough that it is starting to have plumbing issues and, since much of the plumbing is UNDER the concrete foundation, solving those issues is going to involve jack hammering INSIDE the house. It is a nightmare. 100% for basements.

[@JBoy340a]

@@kirkwagner461 ouch. If it is supply lines or drainage they can get to from the outside you may be able to avoid the jackhammer. But if it is drainage in the slab, it’s hammer time. We had to do that when we moved the shower drain in our house.

[@kirkwagner461]

@@JBoy340a The long term solution involves some jack hammering. Then lines are re-routed to run outside the house, burying the lines in the ground. All very expensive.

[@JBoy340a]

@@kirkwagner461 any option to route through attic in PEX? We did that with a bathroom remodel. Working fine .

[@whatthef4222]

I hang my laundry outside, savings are 100%. The time savings are quite minimal and the positives are fresh smelling laundry, zero cost for the dryer, energy is free (solar dried), and a lot less wear and tear on your clothes. Does anyone have any ideas on how I could monetize my "modern solar dryer"?

[@noone-ld7pt]

I tried the same for a while but all my clothes came off the line really stiff compared to when I used the dryer. Tried switching detergents and using softener products but nothing worked, do you have any suggestions for this? Would love to stop using the dryer.

[@saxonsoldier67]

You could push the dual use of the modern solar dryer. Dries clothes as well as restrains intruders and fetish fanatics. Glad I could help.

[@fishbotsid9771]

@@noone-ld7pt your clothes still have residue detergent in that case. washing machines in my country do a good job of washing away all the detergent but it might not be the case for you.just run your clothes an extra cycle without any detergent and it should be fine. also, your dryer crumples up the clothes which in turn not lets the fibers to adhere to each other which is one of the main reasons for stiff clothes. you can just crumple them up yourself or just wear them as is and they will soften up by themselves.

[@danilooliveira6580]

I feel like people where he lives will always need a drier because of freezing winters. otherwise, unless you live in an apartment, everyone should be sun drying their clothes, it's even more sanitary.

[@whatthef4222]

@@danilooliveira6580 I live in in a cold climate and have found that during the winter months, the laundry dries faster in the coldest temperatures. That surprised me, I guess it gets freeze dried.

[@CollinHeist20]

72 - 75 Fahrenheit seems really warm, especially for overnight temperatures when you're sleeping. But that must be a personal preference thing

[@jackinthebox301]

I thought the same thing, but turn a small fan on and that 72 feels way better for sleeping.

[@BennyColyn]

It is a bit of an issue. We build a very similar house about 1 year before Matt started (living there for just over 2 years now) and the fact that the indoor temperatures do not drop during the night is something that takes getting used to (esp for a really bad sleeper like myself). Our house is almost constant 22C +/- 1C 24/7/365.

[@CollinHeist20]

@@BennyColyn I could see that. I would really struggle to sleep at 22C, I personally sleep with the house at 67F/19.5C (although I do live in a cold climate). Probably something to get used to - or geothermal might not be a good fit for everyone

[@UndecidedMF]

It's a personal preference thing for sure, but this house holds onto that temp so well that it carries throughout the night.

[@kperkins1982]

Comfort is a combination of temp and humidity though. There is a reason you feel fine at 75 in the winter but would be boiling at that temp in the summer. The higher the humidity is the less ability your body has to cool you down via perspiration. With such a tightly built house he surely has dehumidification as part of the mechanical systems. Knowing this guy, there is no way he'd let controlling humidity just be left up to the weather and has a way to control it and multiple sensors to check it I'd guarantee it. So I suspect 75 in his house feels just fine because the humidity is controlled for.

[@themeltingJason]

Thanks for posting this! Also a New England resident looking to build from scratch, after having owned a fixer-upper. Was surprised to hear you went with a naturally vented attic, instead of making it a sealed, conditioned space and using an ERV for make up air. I watch a ton of Build Show Network with Matt Risinger, he's a huge proponent of building homes tightly, and correctly. Congrats!!

[@pachoozruta]

I would say that Heat Backup is additional coil in heat pump, I have air to water heat pump and these additional coils are started if it is too cold outside or if there is big difference in outside and wanted temperature inside.

[@MrDeSchroe]

Not trying to compare Apple's and Oranges here, but we live in Germany in a 24 year old house. And our overall energy usage for heating alone comes down to about 28 kWh / m² / year. And we live in a colder part near the Alpes. And our hot water usage comes down to 250 kWh/ month for a family of 3, where everyone showers pretty much every day. I would say there's still room for improvement in American houses.

[@jameshodgetts7541]

I dont know if you've seen it but 8-bit-guy has done lots of videos on energy and solar, hes in texas. Hes using WAY more energy than we do in the UK, its bizzare. And he was bobbling on about how much less he uses than his peers due to his panels and clever shit hes done. Its constantly blowing my mind how wasteful america is when it comes to energy. If us euorpeans has the same consumption, we'd be screwed from multiple angles.

[@TysonJensen]

If a German lived in Matt's house, they'd likely be using a *lot* less. Well, first they'd replace his crazy complicated water heater thing with a normal on-demand heater. I dunno why Americans think they're deprived if they don't have 50-80 gallons of near boiling water just sitting there at all times, but that's how they are. It's literally cheaper in *all* ways to do on demand, but they won't buy it. As for the heating, Americans want it to be *exactly* 22 C at *all* times and feel deprived if it isn't. Multiply that times pretty much every possible use for energy and there's the difference.