Most efficient heating fuel?

[Jpeg Jones]

Maybe factual, maybe opinion. I don't know.

I'm building a house with the intent of converting entirely to solar power a year or so after it's done.

But I need a wise choice for the interim heat source for the home.

We're having in-floor heating with Pex tubing, so the heat will not be in the form of forced air, but will instead power an on-demand heater to feed the in-floor system.

I'm seeing a lot of comparisons of price per therm on the internet, but they all assume a forced air system.

Anybody have good advice? Should I go Kerosene or propane or even natural gas, which is available, but I don't really want to bother with it?

[Dewey Finn]

How do you plan to heat the home once you switch to solar power? Do you expect to generate enough electricity to heat the water in the Pex tubing? If so, the simplest thing would be to use power company electricity now to heat the home, so the switchover to solar power will be fairly simple.

[kanicbird]

As stated, are you planning a backup system for when the sun don't shine, if so that will help you decide.

Kero, Oil, Propane are delivered to you, and as such you have a reserve supply which could be importaint to you. Nat gas is deleivered on demand and as such if there is a disruption you are SOL, but this has been historically very rare in the US.

If no backup system is needed, I would go with electric, even space heaters. If a crude backup system is needed, I would go w/ kero space heaters, pr maybe propane space heaters, though I believe kero heaters are about as cheap to run as you are going to find.

If a full backup system is to be used, I would tend to go with propane or nat gas.

Some benefits of a gas system is that you can use it for cooking (including gas grills) and drying, which is much more efficient then electric systems and hence cheaper to run. If you have nat gas, I would really tend to use it as it would most likely raise the resell value.

[spingears]

Originally Posted by Jpeg Jones

But I need a wise choice for the interim heat source for the home.
We're having in-floor heating with Pex tubing, so the heat will not be in the form of forced air, but will instead power an on-demand heater to feed the in-floor system.

A biomass water heater should fill the bill. Burn corn, cheap, easy to handle, and usually readily available.

[Jpeg Jones]

Actually, just running from the grid with the home completely electric is not an option here in California.

We have an energy code called Title 24, and all new construction must pass the code. Electric-based heating is hugely expensive and pretty much guarantees you'll flunk the Title 24 requirements.

If we were putting in solar from the get-go, that would be fine because then we'd be providing our own electricity. But we can't afford it (~$20,000) until some time later, after we pull some equity out of the new house.

So right now we have to pass Title 24 somehow.

It's starting to look like propane is the answer. Natural gas hookups, and all utilities in general, are ridiculously expensive in Southern California. It's costing us about 13 grand just to hookup a water connection.

[kanicbird]

With the way you stated that last post I'd say go w/ a gas or oil system capable of heating your entire house w/o solar, and invest in a good system, as it sounds like you are in the position that something can come up to push off solar continously.

Also solar > electricity is much cheaper then it used to be and IMHO will continue to fall in price. I would be looking to put in this system over a solar heat system.

[BytopianDream]

Use solar power in its many varied forms.
Saves you lots of money in the long run and that great big ball of burning gas floating millions of miles away won't run out any time soon.

[Wesley Clark]

Can't go wrong with propane

As far as I know you can use kerosene, propane, electricity or natural gas as sources. I do not know the benefits and detriments of each but you seem set on propane.

In regards to electric, there are a myriad of ways to get electricity. The grid, solar, water, hydro (if you live near a stream), and probably others. Have you considered wind power, it was my understanding wind power has a lower cost per KWH produced than solar does.

[Augie]

I like your idea of heated water running through tubing in the floor since this is where you feel it most and the warm air will rise. We've used this for 20 years and it's very comfortable. You can double up the loop where you want more heat like in the bathroom, or have no loops where it would be counterproductive like under the refrigerator.
Old fashioned type connected water rads under each window would be the next best thing.
As for a fuel supply, it depends on the area of the country, but I'd avoid electricity where possible. Heating from a renewable source like wood or corn pellets sounds efficient and clean, but natural gas or propane could be cheaper and easier.
Solar is still too expensive, same with wind, but if you're off grid they'd be worth checking out.