Apparently you don't have access to natural gas. Our home is all electric. We have an electric furnace with a heat pump. Heat pumps only work to a certain temp. Heat pumps are very efficient. If it gets below a certain temp outside the furnace then takes over. We don't have those typical electric baseboard thingys. We are forced air. Our electric bill is the same as our last house gas and electric combined and the present house is larger sq footage. We are western PA.

What about solar.

I can't get over the 6-8 years of planning part. I'm lucky if I can plan ahead 6 to 8 minutes. I don't think it's possible to do planning that far ahead. So much will be different in 8 years.

6-8 years, yes a long time, but it just won't happen any sooner then that. heating systems won't change that much. heat pump might be an option, but it stays below freezing for awhile there. we will also have a wood cooking stove for additional heat.

I live quite a bit further south than you - in my last house we had an air-source heat pump with electric furnace backup. I nearly froze to death. Are you used to electric heat? I could never get warm with it. The air coming out of the registers was barely lukewarm.

We have NG now and I’m toasty. :)

Before this house I had gas. I am the same toasty warm with gas as electric. I do miss my gas fireplace though. We don't use ours as much since we have to drag in wood.

Depends on the tax year. We hope to break ground in the fall next year, and it sounds as if there will be substantial tax credits returning for geothermal, so it will make it worthwhile to consider vs a conventional heat pump. Attention to details in your building envelope is the most important aspect as already mentioned. Better spending your money on a good, well sealed wall/roof assembly than pouring money into green heating solutions where you’re looking at a long payback period.

I know there is a bunch of debate on spray insulation, but I really like the idea of it. Yes, much more initial cost. Having a sealed house that the insulation won't settle in the walls seems like a good deal.

I will have to do some research on the geothermal. I don't know anything about. heard of it, but that's it.

If you do a damp spray cellulose in the wall cavities (NuWool), you don’t get the settling you do with loose fill.

In the original post you stated you are looking for a good efficient heating system. I assume by efficient you mean efficient on operating costs, and not necessarily efficient energy usage. They are not always the same thing.

If you are looking at 6-8 years then I recommend building a home in an area that has a natural gas supply. Natural gas is the least costly way to heat a residential home for the foreseeable future. Gas gives you several options using either a boiler or furnace. Then it comes down how much you want to spend on your heating and cooling system.

Forced air systems don't create dust. Any dust in the house comes from other sources. A properly designed and sized filter will collect dust particles in the house.

Air sourced heat pumps can keep you as warm as you like if they are sized and designed properly. You will need a backup heating system that can be electric or propane.

If you think you may install a solar system, then select a lot where the back of the house faces south. I also suggest minimizing the roof penetrations and moving the ones that need to be installed to the edge of the roof. This will make installing solar panels easier with the best sun exposure.

Forget geothermal. Even with rebates/credits, they are not cost effective (unless you insist on minimizing your carbon footprint at any cost). Get a good electric heatpump with resistance backup. The latest heatpumps work down to below freezing and what you spend on resistance backup in really sub-zero weather will be less than you'd spend installing a propane gas furnace for main use or backup use.

I heard geothermal is very expensive to install. I heard of only one person having one. He was a farmer and had a lot of out buildings that need heated.

I know plenty of people with geothermal. Payback period in our zone is right around 15 years.

Definitely worth it. Tax credits that were previously available actually made it comparable to a standard heat pump. I know three people that have them along with two houses being built right now with them along with a house that had a system installed two years ago down the road from here.

Popularity differs by region, I'm sure. We don't have NG availability most places around here. Propane and oil are too expensive, ductless is nice, but costly (I know, I have two Mitsubishi units in my current home).

Geothermal has a role with older houses and if you insist on crazy amounts of windows. For most houses, put the money into the envelope. There is absolutely no difference in the way NG and electric heat feels. NG is really unnecessary with a tight envelope. I am building in an area with NG and I might just use propane. The monthly charge in my last house exceeded my usage so I would have been better off with propane (cooking and fireplace). And that was built in 2009 with basically code + not 2023 code. By 2023, a heat pump might not even pay off - just use resistance heat as your body heat + some sun will mean the heat almost never runs.

While some regions have cheap geothermal and tax credits for it, they still might have been better off with a better envelope instead. Mine came out at $200 a year savings for $50k extra cost. If people build new and then have geothermal, they should be at $500 a year total heating cost or significantly less.

You could do insulated footings and put it all on a hydronic slab.

The best heating system is a suitable design that takes into account passive solar principles and proper siting for that.

Then, the best heating system is the best air sealing and insulation that your money can buy. That would be staggered double wall 2x4 construction with spray in cellulose and exterior foam cladding.

If you site properly, air seal and insulate properly, you can heat a small house with a Bic lighter.

The federal tax credit for geothermal installation is no longer available. A 15 year pay back is a long time and longer than most people will live in a single home. You are better off putting the extra money in upgraded windows and insulation.

I just installed a new Geothermal system. I have the direct exchange system which is supposed to be better that the water based system. The price was 25k more than a high efficiency gas fired system. I will save quite a bit every month, plus I don't have to worry oil or propane drama. And, when I get solar panels, the system will cost nothing to operate. I also get free hot water in the summer.

no NG available, already have the land. will probably end up with propane forced air or water in floor. will have a wood fireplacein living room to heat when wanted.

https://dandelionenergy.com/what-the-geothermal-tax-credit-extension-means-for-you/

OP, you’re in NY, the article specifically mentions the increased incentives for NY residents since it’s likely you would be eligible for two credits if this passes.

To the OP on the subject of geothermal, your first costs of
HVAC installation will always be your lowest cost. The biggest cost
differential between a conventional systems and geothermal will mostly be the
ground heat exchange system. Everything going ‘into the house’ is more or less
the same, conventional or geothermal. Your annual savings on energy and
maintenance alone might more than cover this cost differential when rolled into
your mortgage and amortized over its life.

Yes, create the most energy efficient envelope possible to
reduce the size and cost of the system but geothermal is not a big deal to
install or pay for at your stage of planning. You could also subtract the cost
of installing propane if it’s optional. If your property is large enough and
conducive, you can install a horizontal ground loop with no drilling.

Explore these links:

https://www.waterfurnace.com/residential/products/geothermal-heat-pumps/synergy3d

… or this system like ‘taconichills’ probably just
installed:

http://earthlinked.com/how-it-works-the-installation-process/

http://earthlinked.com/products/

Most people commenting on geothermal are certainly entitled
to their opinions but most have never installed or owned a geothermal system.
When properly designed and installed, especially in extreme climates, no system
is more flexible or efficient.

Geothermal beats them all!

IMPO

SR

Geothermal wins of course. Especially in extreme climates, but NY isn't extreme. If you don't need a/c, just put $10k into walls and insulation and then you barely need heat. When you are down to $30 a month with electric resistance, it is really hard for geothermal to justify its cost. Sure, spend $10k on geothermal - and you will almost never find a total system for that - and you can save 70%. Too bad that savings might be $150 a year - so it never makes sense.

Repeat for emphasis - if you don't need a/c, and you are building new, forego ducts and furnaces. Build an R40+ wall with great air sealing, some southern windows and rely on a bic lighter to heat the rest. Bic lighters are cheap.

Geothermal has its place. Absolutely. But generally a double wall filled with cellulose is more cost effective. Even 2 inches of foam on a 2x6 structure puts heating loads down very low where geo doesn't often compute.

People who have never lived in a well insulated structure are certainly entitled to their opinions.

hmm, I would classify NY as extreme. We have extreme cold, in fact it won't go over 17 degrees for the next week. And the summers can feel like the tropics. Many triple digit temperatures with high humidity.

I can't imagine a house being more sealed than the one I've built. I have no thermal break. The spray foam even goes under the basement floor. The foam that was sprayed under the roof is wild...tons of it. And when they were done, I played the role of dopey homeowner and pointed with my laser pointer at anything that I thought looked like a crevice or weak spot, even though the foam was many inches thick and they sprayed more to appease me. I have all anderson 400's and A series doors. I oriented the house to be north facing. The back south facing side has all the windows. The north facing side that eats the cold wind had a lot less windows, and small ones at that.

Every person who comes in says the same thing, I can heat the house with a bic. Even thought I haven't technically moved in yet, I still need a muscular system to adequately and properly provide the muscle to get the job done. I have a 9 ton system with 5 zones. No condensers outside. Nice and quiet units in the basement. Not concerned if there is an oil crisis and prices spike drastically. I am immune to all that nonsense. I am using the good earth to move heat into my home.

A good high efficiency gas system would have cost me 6 dollars, Geo cost 9 dollars. Since I had the money it was a no brainer. If one is building a home and trying to really watch expenses, then I agree that sealing and insulating the hell out of the home and then putting in a regular system is fine, but if you can spring for the premium for the GEO it is a smart move. Plus, there is very real chance the tax credits will come back and I'll get 30% back, making it an amazing deal.

The new tax bill was signed into law last week. I cannot find any mention that the geothermal tax credit was included. If it did not make into this tax bill, then I don't see the incentive for Congress to add it to future legislation. But then again stranger things have happened.

Did you calculate how much it would cost to heat your house with a natural gas furnace versus your geothermal system? Where I live it is cheaper to heat with natural gas, but in your case it may be different. For cooling for cooling geothermal is more economical. It comes down to how long do you wait for on your return on investment. It is going to be a long pay back period if you can heat the house with a bic lighter.

I am curious as to where you live in NY and how many times the temperature was above 100 degrees?