Changes

The requirement for a single fuel type effectively eliminates propane heating in favour of diesel. Diesel is anyway much safer. It is also more efficient, providing around 140,000 BTU (British Thermal Units) per gallon, compared to 91,000 for propane.

The first major issue is whether to use forced air or circulating water to distribute heating and cooling. In the beginning, memories of cold radiators in grade school in the dead of a Canadian winter, and the comfort of humidity control with forced air in modern homes predisposed me to forced air. Over time, I changed my mind several times. In the end, circulating water was chosen to: