system is yet unplanned, so....i like the idea of the use for air conditioning as well.
“system is yet unplanned, so....i like the idea of the use for air conditioning as well....i am already at least contemplating many of these concepts. house will be in north-eastern Maine”
Hi neighbor. I am in NH. Spend a little more to super insulate. Just be aware that a tight house can reduce air quality. Either keep a good supply of indoor plants (or aquaponics) or get some sort of heat exchange air handling. There are passive and cheap versions of this, and expensive active versions.
For south facing windows the ideal is high Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) windows. Look for over 0.3. The higher the better. Window selection is personal and budget based too. I like reusing second hand patio sliders. You still get pretty good performance at dirt cheap prices. A good high SHGC window is more effective but window costs can add up.
With some roof overhang in Maine you should never need air conditioning. An attic fan run at night will cool everything down, and if you have built in thermal mass and/or earth sheltering that will help all day.
The other thing I would install if I was building a new house is metal roofing. It eliminates ice damming issues. It will last for 50 years or more. It is not nearly as big of an upcharge over asphalt now as it was a few years ago.
There may also be a tax credit on the lighter colored varieties.
Like NH, you will probably never have a natural gas pipeline in front of your house, unless you big in a city.
Therefore, your energy choices to heat with are: oil, propane, cord wood, coal and wood pellets. All of those choices have drawbacks. None are getting cheaper, except maybe coal.