Radiant Efficiency

摘要

The radiant heating and cooling industries are working hard to bring radiant comfort technology to buildings across America. While most end-users who decide to install radiant do so because they have heard that the technology delivers the most comfortable space conditioning available today, the energy-efficiency attributes of radiant cannot be ignored. In fact, one recent study of 23 buildings with radiant heating and/or cooling showed that 74% had achieved a LEED Platinum certification, and that two-thirds also had an Energy Star score exceeding 90, indicating that their energy performance placed them in the top 10th percentile of US buildings of similar construction and location. Why is radiant so energy efficient? Several reasons - first, new homes designed with radiant are usually also designed with a very "tight" building envelope. This means features including high levels of insulation, double (or even triple) pane windows, and in many cases building design and orientation such that "passive" heating and cooling effects come into play. Passive features may include larger south and west-facing windows for solar gain during the heating season (and smaller north and east-facing windows), as well as roof eave "overhangs" to prevent heat gain during the summer.