I am planning on covering the following topics in this blog and would invite anyone to respond with comments or questions. I also welcome any ideas you think I may be able to incorporate.
Heating
a. Bryant geothermal furnace with the loop installed in the lake:
b. RSF Opel woodburning fireplace (ULC certified as a wood stove) with the furnace ductwork integrated into so it is possible to heat the entire house.
c. Longvie propane direct vent wall mounted heaters.
d. Valor free-standing direct vent fireplace through the roof propane heater for the loft.
Domestic Hot Water System
a. Watercycles Shower drain heat recovery.
b. Solar panel batch DHW heater.
c.Rinai propane instantaneous hot water heater.
Insulation
a. ECO-block foam foundation insulation.
b. Icynene spray foam on all exterior walls.
c. Enercept Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) for the entire roof.
d. Cladmate exterior insulation to create a thermal break on the wood framing.
Conservation
a. EcoEnergy fan door test to confirm air tightness.
b. Metal roof with highly reflective coating to reduce cooling requirements.
c. Landscape design to provide shading for the west side of the house.
Ventilation
Eneready Heat Recovery Ventilation system, comes with a DC motor only 25-30 watts continuous.
Windows
All Weather Windows – comes with high-performance glass, wood interior with metal clad exterior.
Appliances
a. Sunfrost refridgerator
b. Stabler washing machine
c. Maytag double oven
Lighting
a. LED
b. Compact Fluorescent (CF) lighting
Electrical
Switched outlets to stop phantom power losses.
Power Plant
b. Diesel/propane generator?
I have been working in the heating and ventilation industry and consulting to people building new homes for 30 years. Good stewardship of resources and concern for the environment have been my focus. In 1982, we built (and still live in) one of the most energy efficient R2000 homes in Canada. My other involvements relating to energy efficiency, comfort and health in the home include speaking on numerous radio talk shows, teaching workshops and appearing on 
Do you know a company that install Geo-thermo heating system in the Victoria area?
Comment by Ray — April 12, 2008 @ 3:03 am
Doug it was great talking to you today and thanks for directing me to your blog. It’s a great blog – you are definitely a leader in the field of sustainability and healthy-home living. I have been interested in R-2000 housing, sustainable & healthy housing for many years and now I have the opportunity to put my dreams into action. My wife and I will be tearing down our old house in Burnaby and we plan on building not only an energy efficient house but also a healthy-home environment. The difference between you and many of the people I have spoken to so far is that you live what you believe rather than just talk about it or try to sell a product. I look forward to talking to you again because I will now talk to you about more than just a heat pump. I want to replicate many of the things that you are doing, and have been doing, for a very long time. Thanks Doug. Garry.
Comment by Garry Lester — April 20, 2008 @ 4:29 am
Ray – Doug Lochheart is a good geothermal contact on the island and could either help you or direct you to a good contractor. Let me know if you have trouble locating him and I will do some digging for a contact number.
Comment by dougrempel — April 20, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
Since you think of everything, you probably have considered snow load, snow-fall zones and snow damming in respect to your roof design and walkways. We have a heat trace system in our roof under each of the valleys, but there is a lot to consider, such as snow stops, roof pitch, gutters and downspouts. Lilloet lake is probably nothing like Whistler for snow fall, but more like Whistler than Burnaby!
I realy enjoyed looing a t your site, with an eye to building another home for retirement with all your ideas. Thanks for the inspiration!
Steve
Comment by Steve Legate — April 27, 2008 @ 4:05 am
Thanks for your comments.
I am going to put the house plan on this blog shortly. You’re right that snow loads are nothing like Whistler as Lillooet Lake, which while it is very close, has a very interesting and a much warmer micro climate. That said, I had planned for snow stops. The 6′ overhang on the west should keep snow off the 5′walkway, the 10′dormer over the entry way will protect the front entry and the 12′ prow will give some protection to the deck.
Since you are familiar with Whistler, do you have any ideas for my gutters? I am having some difficulty coming up with a design for the fascia and gutters. Since the SIP’s roof is scheduled to be on in 3-4 weeks I need a decision soon. The main roof pitch is 10/12, the shed dormers are 5/12 and we are planning for a standing seam metal roof. I want the fascia boards to be mounted 90 degrees to the rafters, which if the gutters are mounted on the fascia, this puts them on the same slope as the roof. I am also worried about the snow sliding and knocking them off. Many of the folks in this area do not have gutters but I want them.
I’ll look forward to your input / ideas.
Thanks
Doug
Comment by dougrempel — April 29, 2008 @ 4:15 am
[...] The inaugural burn. It’s going to be cozy! For more info on the RSF Opel check out my older post here: Blog Topics [...]
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