Hey Anon please tell us all more why you consider Homerit to be flimsy and have poor workmanship?? Have you experience of their products?

I am considering an order with them - I found a 2006 forum post which slammed them (customer was taking them to court) but that was some time ago and now they say the frames are fusion welded, they have the Branz appraisal etc - which must be worth something.

Hi
It uses 36mj/h on high and a 12mj/h on low according to the manual.
I use it about 4 hours a day 7 days a week over winter and a bit in summer for ambiance, used about 5 x 45 kg bottles last year, it won't run with out power unless you buy a cheap generator, lol
Although some of the Escea fires do so check their website. I don't know about the pilot, I push the on button and it goes everytime and that is all I need to know.
cheers
Dave

I,m installing a 5.04kW system at the moment. I can tell you a bit about the process and costs.

I imported my panels from China and they are excellent quality. The cost is NZ$3 per watt by the time you pay for all the import costs. In China you'll get a quotes between US$1.7/watt and $2/watt. Extra fees on top of this are freight, port handling, biosecurity, inspection, exchange rate. Port handling fees are about $100/m3 (For me that was $700).

Next you'll need a grid tie inverter. You should probably get these overseas as well. You can expect to pay about NZ$1/watt for the inverter if sourced overseas. If you want an NZ warranty Enasolar is a New Zealand company that manufactures grid tie inverters and they have a 2KW model that retails for about $3000

You'll also need mounting and wiring hardware. I sourced my mounting hardware from Powersmart New Zealand. You can expect to pay about 60-70 cents per watt for the mounting hardware.

Council Consents
In NZ you are strictly required to get a consent to install rooftop photovoltaics. The installation should be in accordance with NZS5033. The councils are mostly concerned with weather tightness issues and loading. They don't care much about the electrical side of it other than they require that the system is signed off by an electrician. The consent costs from the Wellington city council was $1300. It seems like a lot of money - and it is. However, without consent, if your system happened to cause a fire, your insurance would be null and void. In other words fork out and do it properly.

The only other thing to do is get your meter replaced. You need an import/export meter to export electricity.

Also join a power company such as meridian that has a 1-1 buy back rate.

Payback time
I payed about $23000 for the system. If I had invested that money of term deposit an 7% then I would break even after 18 years. In other words it is equivalent to a term deposit on your money of 7% for 18 years. Between 18 and 25 years (the quoted lifetime) your investment will compound significantly.

These calculations take into account interest rates, power price increases (linearly extrapolated), and generation degradation. They don't take into account any maintenance.

If anyone has had the slab crack so badly that the UFH pipes have failed the house is probably a write off.
The correct specification pipe can take normal slab cracks.

In New Zealand it is best to fit pipes into a conventional 100mm slab - the screed method isn't so suitable if you use an air sourced hot water heat pump (lack of storage capacity).

And at the present time an air sourced HWHP is the most cost energy source.

JK

Hi Spencer,
just did read your post and wonder if you would like come and visit us in Nelson solarrosahome.co.nz and see what different, new technology and most economic options we supply for solar hot water and underfloor heating in any compact system size and individual options with wet back connections for only cloudy winter days, which saves you a lot of wood. In summer your hot water is stored over more then 2 rainy days, with no worries to overheat.
Gabriele at Solar Rosa Home

well, your new house will probably also be fairly air tight. I have to open a window when I turn on my rangehood or I pull the smoke down the logburner flue and into the house. Bathroom extractors can have the same result.

If your house isnt air tight and if you leave the logburner vents open, then yes, you will lose hot air, never mind the heat transfer. But I have never seen any study on on flues being thermal bridges. I syspect anyones opinion on the subject will be just that, an assumed opinion.

Hi, I'm new here and building our first new house soon. We are looking at a woodburner with 6kW wetback and 8kw room heat (and maybe a heatpump).

We want to use some of this wetback water to feed thru our hallway on the sth side of the house which is thru the wall from the fireplace, same place as HW cylinder.

Can someone recommend the kind of pipework used? Is PEX the right type? It will be the std low pressure wetback but could potentially be upto 95 deg C. We will be using a std 100mm pad with 50mm polystyrene underneath, 25mm timber surround footings barrier (still under discussion:). pipes will be tied to the mesh midway thru the pad.

We just want a large heatsink for the wetback that will give a gentle warmth to the south end of the house/hallway, that we can switch on once (or while) the HWC is heated up.

Any help here would be great.

Thanks in advance,
Lincoln from Hamilton.

If your house is reasonable insulated with modern thermally efficient windows I assume it is fairly airtight.
Therefore I would advise you to use a woodbourner which draws external air anyway.
This is becoming gradually standard.

I'd suspect you are being a bit too anal there. I doubt that much heat will be lost that way esp if you use an eco ceiling plate and close off the inlet air when not in use.
You can insulate a flue or box in the bits you don't see.
Surely if it's that cold that you need to worry about that loss then you'll have it cranked up and warming your toes??

Thanks Dejan,

not quite there yet - first fix wiring at the moment. Hope to be in by Christmas so UFH may not get a good try out until next winter

Pete

Hello Pete,

I am about to build soon and strongly considering the UFH inside the screed slab, rather than buried in the structural slab. Also just heard of someone in the neighborhood had a slab crack and broke the pipes for UFH... funny enough, I haven't seen anyone expressing any concern about that part.
Anyway, I hope you are enjoying yur new home and wondering if how did the UFH work out o the end?

Thanks,
Dejan.

http://www.earthbuilding.org.nz/

This is an urgent request from the EBANZ Committee.

EBANZ is funding a team of University Professors, Engineers and Architects to travel to Canterbury and compile a detailed report on earth buildings effected by the Canterbury earthquake.

This exercise will give us valuable, specific information on the performance of earthen structures during seismic activity. The results of this study will help us, the international community and future generations understand earth building design more fully and will certainly promote "the art and science of earth building"

The date of this trip is being confirmed but we have agreements from some experts already.

The Request:

Building location
Your contact details, (phone numbers and physical address)
Type of earthen construction
Year built (approx. is OK e.g. "the 90s")
Photos of any visible damage, cracks etc. (any photos greatly appreciated)
The more detail the better, but just replying is great

Even if you can see no damage, we would like to hear from you, positive feedback itself is invaluable.

If you know of, once owned, designed, engineered, worked on or decorated an earth building, we would like to have any details, phone numbers you feel you can pass on, we will be very considerate of the owners privacy.

Thanks in advance
EB News Editor & EBANZ Committee

http://www.earthbuilding.org.nz/

We are planning a very well insulated and sealed house with underfloor heating. As a back up, we want a long burner but this will only be used occasionally. But, it struck me that on cold days when the log burner is not in use, the metal flue pipe will be a great conductor of room heat out into the open air. Does anyone know of a flue solution which would not act as a thermal bridge when not in use?

I researched this a little a while back. Im not qualified to tell you which one is better. But it is unlikely you will sent any power back into the grid unlesss you spend 10's of thousands of dollars. I was planning on enough pannels for 1-1.5kW's. But I can use almost that when im not even home so it was more about lightening the load. From memory I think its about $3000+ per kW for the cheap Chinese pannels plus install and extra devices.

VB

Hello , Can any one tell me what photovoltaic systems are best value for money.What shall I be wary of and what hidden costs there might be.
I have heard that it is better to send unneeded power back to the grid rather than to batteries, Any one with insight on this.
Also do power companies hit you with much in the way of extra connection charges etc - insurances etc?

Any information will be helpful.

Cheers

That was me who put the school house on poles. It's worked a treat. In my case it was to make a big shed/workshop but to do a home that way would work very well too.
If I were to do a home i'd seek out a timber framed ex-brick clad house. The cladding would be removed already and you then can see any borer and/or rot right from the outset. They are cheaper too.
You will also have the huge advantage of being able to do your wiring, plumbing, insulation etc to a very high standard before cladding. Cladding is easy, by the way.
The biggest advantage is that once up on poles you can then leave it stuck up in the air and build under later as you can afford, or not if you cant. Underfloor insulation is an absolute breeze!
PM me if you want to know more details.
Sam

Hi there i've been to simon Dale hobbit house in August 2010 and seen it with my own eyes NO it would'nt pass the NZ code of compliance. But studying the structure, reading books on the roof structure, it could be made to passed by NZ stardards, with flying colours?. With a few changes and lot more care in the constrution method, and the using old method that have been copied in creating this structure. Then it would be with out a doubt be perfect for NZ envoriment. As come from construction back ground from UK where I worked with old tradistional building using old methods, not based everything around cement concrete! Yes i live in NZ since 2006,. So on my return I plan to put to put these type of construction to NZ planning, in the correct contects, and relative docoments! Mainly from the point of view, that these buildings are, low in CO2, low impact, eco, substainable, built from local resource, cheap construct, and most of all, be visally low impact to there surroundings. So I'm looking for for one to help me with these issus, help me steer me in the right direction, and advise me, on what may be thrown at me!, some one in planning circles who does'nt mined putting some verbal time into a real dreamer? create what we need for our furture and substainable living, and be in tune to our surroundings!. sorry about poor spelling?
So contact me on surffins@hotmail.co.uk

Hi,

I am not sure if you already own a property but if this is your first home you will find it hard to get a bank to loan for this project.
I agree that you should also look into new homes. www.a1homes.co.nz are good pricing and you know they will be warm and fully insulated.

We don't have IV68 timber windows we have 70mm UPVC windows, double glazed. And we have renovated another house in the past with UPVC windows and additional insulation.
Taking those horrible ugly aluminium windows out is an essential part of renovation.

but do YOU have IV68 windows and a 2010 thermal envelope? or are you just talking the talk like most of the other bloggers do on this subject.
Who wants the same old same old buildings that go up street after street, we are like a flock of sheep, following everyone else.
We just have to change our mind set and dear to try other forms of building which are out there.
.....brick n tile, boring.......

Well the reality is that you need a certain amount of money even for a basic house with a reasonable thermal envelope.
Do we really need more sub standard structures on top of the existing ones which are a burden on the tax payer, on the health system and individuals with cold and damp living space and crazy power bills?
Because of those who never learn and want to keep errecting new crap the code will hopefully soon be upgraded and make construction of substandard houses illegal.

makes it sound like if your not well off you can't build.
Like to hear all about your perfect house and what you have incorporated.

And what does it give to you?
The cause of the mould in the first place remains there.
The occurance of mould anywhere in the house is an alarming sign and a potential health risk.
It requires proper action rather than some "curtain magician".

If your budget doesn't allow a basic 2010 standard thermal envelope including double glazing it may not be sufficiant to build a house.
You can compromise many things (shape, size, benchtop, plasma, garage ....) but compromising the thermal envelope is false economics and plain nonsense.

At the end of the day it is all about compromise, ie what you can afford and what you can't.
In an 'ideal' world it would be great if everyone could have double glazed timber joinery.
There has to be trade offs eg more insulation and maybe double thermal drapes.
Who wants to be working your ass off for 30yrs for the banks!
Build smaller, less to payback, less to clean and easier to heat. It's a no brainer!