Good luck with your project.

As far as wheel weight is concerned, The most noticeable change vs a lighter wheel is accelerating, where the wheels weight works like a flywheel. That 2 - 3% more work is only lost when applying the brakes and aids coasting.

Even the total weight difference has a very small overal effect. Important if your racing where a few seconds can mean the difference between 2'nd and 5'th place. Not so much for the average comuter.

Good quality properly inflated tires with supple sidewalls, appropriate tread and compound will go a long way toward providing the best ride/performance ballance. Those Schwalbe tires look like a good choice to me too. I might replace the stock Kenda tires that came with my comfort bike with them when they wear out.

Although those Kenda K892's are an inexpensive tire, They perform WAY better than they have any right too for the recreational cyclist. I've had good luck avoiding flats too.