Heating solution chosen

Now that the house drawings have been finalized I posted them under section "House package" http://project-eco-house-finland.blogspot.com/p/house-package.html

We have now chosen a (water) heating solution based on:
- NIBE latest generation ground source heat pump F1245 6 Kw with 180l water tank incorporated in the same unit.This pump is being advertised as reducing the heating bills by up to 80% i.e. one 1kw energy is used to produce 5kw of energy. See product page here http://www.nibe.eu/Domestic-heatingcooling/Ground-source-heat-pumps/Product-range/NIBE-F1245/
- the heat collector will be in a ground probe/ energy well to 130m underground
- water based floor heating in the whole house - the water circulation temperature in the loops should be only 30/35 Celsius compared to radiators which would need more like 50/55 Celsius.
- air-ventilation unit Enervent Pingvin ECO EDE-CG with heat recovery efficiency of over 75%
- cooling in the summer using the cooling from the ground source pump connected to the air ventilation unit
- during very cold days we can also use the fireplace

 As the house will be well insulated this solution should be sufficient for the house heating and warm water needs (or so we have been advised). If in the future it makes sense, the NIBE pump also allows the possibility to add solar panels to heat the water and/or add additional water tank.

 The rough price breakdown (we agreed a total price in the end) was:
Heating system:
- NIBE 1245-6 ground source heat pump and installation - 8600
- energy well 130m - 3900
- floor heating main house 160m2 - 3000
- floor heating storage 23 m2 (including pipe in the ground bringing the warm water from the house to the storage 40m) - 2000
Total 17500

Ventilation and cooling system and installation:
-  air ventilation with heat recovery: 11000(damn expensive machine based air!)
 - cooling (based on ground source heat pump - 3000
Total: 14000

Besides the above we also got from same company (Nord Energy) the water and suiwage materials and work on the inside the house for about 8000 euro.

Meeting on the plot and hunting fireplaces

We met this morning at the plot all the key-people of the project. Head designer, Lapponia house representative and landwork contractor. At -13degrees it was rather chilly meeting... but got valuable second opinion for the landwork (maatyöt) and making the roads last. The landbase is soft clay (old bottom of Baltic sea) and needs to be made strong enough for big machinery of 40 000kg to delivery elements. Since we have about 1meters of snowbed at this very moment, there is no deep frost in the ground but when the snow melts... we will propably come across with some flodding issues. So planning of the roads was rather interesting because of the deep snow... Let's see how it will all go.

Last weekend we were totally scared off by some contractor candidate with the mount of work in order to make the bottom strong enough. Estimate given was about 30 000 eur but today it wasn't that bad at all. So always ask for second opinion or even third. We will go for some contractor known and recommended by Lapponia house.

We also went again to see some fireplaces. This time we entered a company called Tulikivi and there we found some charming old fashioned, traditional fireplaces. Somehow I have been thinking of a modern style so far but Tulikivi made me seriously dream of having proper all-around-tiled fireplace (kaakeliuuni). Tiles are handmade in Finland and this gives some idea of the price too... Roughly 10 000 eur for a fireplace with oven and tandem-chimney incl. installation and delivery. Tandem-chimney we need because we will have wood-heated sauna on the other side of the fireplace wall. So one chimney goes for two "stoves". 

So at the moment we have 3 candidates we are looking at:
One model from Tulikivi

http://www.tulikivi.com/mallisto/ksuunit06/juhani_e_06.JPG 

Another model from Uunisepat:

http://www.uunisepat.fi/WebRoot/521328/10Tuotteet.aspx?id=1142354&Product=Katrilli&Model=Klassikko

and a cheaper version from Suomen Takkateollisuus:
http://www.ultimatemarket.com/PublishedService?file=page&pageID=9&itemcode=10710

Allekirjoituksia metsästämässä

Saimme vihdoin asemapiirroksen ja talokuvat. Maanantaina 24.1.2011 ne lähtee kuntaan rakennuslupahakemuksena.
Eilen ja tänään olenkin kiertänyt uusia naapureita kuin mikäkin jehovantodistaja-kaupustelija hämäräperäinen olkalaukku olalla. Allekirjoituksia olen saanut vasta kolmelta. Vielä kuusi puuttuu. Onkin ihmeellistä miten yhdellä omakotitalotontilla voi olla niin monta naapuria, mutta niin se vain on meidän tapauksessa: Yhdeksän naapuria joista vain yksi asuu virallisesti muualla kuin Luomassa.

Arrrh, we have not yet applied for building permit (rakennuslupa)

In order to apply for building permit the following main items have to be ready:
- the drawings of the house "pohjakuvat" (bottoms, sides, cross-section view)
- the site plan (asemapiirros) where the house is shown placed on the land, distance to neighbors etc.
- energy certificate and expected energy consumption

Our lead-designer ("pääsuunnittelija) is coordinating all the paperwork for this application and he's doing a good job and we're happy that he seems very knowledgeable and helpful.

Unfortunately, the drawings of the house are being produced by Lapponia house designer together with the sales agent. And with them the communication has been less than optimal to put it mildly. 
First problem was that we were discussing our wishes for changes not directly with Lapponia designer but through the sales agent, who either did not make good notes (did not write all stuff down) or did not communicate the changes properly to the Lapponia designer or the designer was not paying enough attention, etc. Either way, many times the modified designs did not include our suggestions or not all etc.
The second problem was that we did not feel we got professional advice/suggestions from them as to what should be changed to accommodate our wishes or essential things in the drawings were missing: no proper space for technical equipment of the house (tekninen tila) or too small, the living area and floor area square meters seemed to be wrong on the drawings even to untrained eyes, etc. And the answer was "this is how the program calculates the square meters" (although obviously wrong).

Anyway, to make this story short, we were promised to have the building permit application ready before Christmas, but here we are today 18th of Jan and we do not yet have the drawings ready...

First time inside the old house

We just got the keys to the old house standing on the plot. Cottage has no real value but we were still interested to go in and have a look. Soo-omg much snow and very old locks but finally got lucky with the back door. Little kitchen was full of little treasures (cups, plates and jars) and some nice wooden furniture was left behind. I just love the old stuff! No sign of mice inside, only lots and lots of deer footprints around the house. Ja papanoita...

Yesterday we became land owners

Yes, yesterday Dec 22nd 2010 we became land owners of  3000 m2 in a great location in Luoma, Kirkkonummi, Finland. And it feels great and a bit sureal. We signed the pre-acquisition contract already 13 months ago and by December 21 2010 we got all the necessary approvals to be allowed to build on the land. It took so long because we needed to obtain an "exception permit" (poikkeuslupa) as the land was meant to build just holiday houses and not for permanent residency.

Below a picture taken from Nokia's maps.ovi.com. The sign on the map below is where the plot is located. It is about 350m from Vitträsk lake. The closest primary school is about 1.5 km and train station/ grocery store 3 km.

Here below is a satellite picture close up where the plot is marked. There is a 50 m2 summer cottage from the '60s which we'll have remove before starting to build the new house.

just starting

I have to learn how to use blogger