| Red hot as in sales, that is. The reasons | | | | radiant panels will return an unoccupied room |
| behind the increasing popularity of radiant | | | | to a comfortable temperature in minutes. |
| heat panels are ease of installation, quick | | | | |
| warm up, dust free heat, and low cost | | | | Radiant Heat Panel Applications Radiant heat |
| relative to other alternate heating systems. | | | | panels are an excellent source of heat for |
| | | | bathrooms (no more foggy mirrors), log homes, |
| For the same price as a pellet stove, you | | | | gazebos, screened in porches and stables. If |
| could heat a 1,500 square foot home and not | | | | you're heating a greenhouse, radiant heat |
| have to deal with locating, storing, and | | | | will protect your plants in the absence of |
| lugging 40 pound bags of wood pellets. | | | | sunlight by maintaining root temperatures. |
| | | | |
| A U.S. Department of Energy sponsored study | | | | Replacing a wood stove with ceiling mounted |
| concluded that radiant heat panels were 52% | | | | panels in auxiliary buildings such as |
| less expensive to operate than electric | | | | workshops or studios allows the use of all |
| baseboard heat and 33% more cost effective | | | | available floor space. |
| air to air heat pumps. The study concluded | | | | |
| that "energy savings would be obtainable in a | | | | Radiant Heat Panel Installation and Cost The |
| great portion of U.S. households". | | | | low amperage requirements for ceiling heat |
| | | | panels can usually be provided by existing |
| Radiant heat panels manufactured by Enerjoy | | | | 120 or 240 volt circuits. The 30%-70% wattage |
| are about 1 inch thick, and range in size | | | | reduction over electric baseboard heating |
| from 2'x2' to 2'x8'. They are textured to | | | | eliminates the need for dedicated wiring. |
| look like the ceiling and can painted to | | | | Wherever a single panel is installed, the |
| match the room's décor with quality water | | | | existing 120 volt capacity circuit is usually |
| based acrylic paint. | | | | adequate for the additional load. |
| | | | |
| The panels operate at 150-170 degrees F. and | | | | Installation of radiant heat panels typically |
| radiate heat to objects and people in the | | | | cost between $1.25 and $1.50 per square foot |
| room. The panel itself reaches operating | | | | of heated space. For a 1,500 sq. ft. house |
| temperature in only three to five minutes. | | | | the estimated cost would be $1,900 to $2,300. |
| | | | That's considerably less than the cost for a |
| Advantages of Radiant Heat Panels Heat loss | | | | complete forced air system. |
| from ducts, even insulated ones, reduces the | | | | |
| efficiency of forced air systems. Additional | | | | Disadvantages of Radiant Heat Panels The |
| leakage is created by the internal air | | | | major limitation of radiant heat panels is |
| pressure generated by forced air systems. No | | | | the absence of a cooling function. Installing |
| duct, No pressure, no leakage problems. | | | | a ducted central air conditioner would |
| | | | undermine many of the advantages of using |
| Since the need for a blower to circulate heat | | | | radiant panels. |
| is eliminated, so is the cost of electricity | | | | |
| to the blower motor. Without a blower, there | | | | One way around this would be to install a |
| are no filters that need to be replaced. | | | | mini-split air conditioning system. The |
| | | | mini-split, like radiant panels, is also a |
| Heating without moving air also eliminates | | | | cost effective retrofit solution and can be |
| drafts and prevents dust and pollen from | | | | zoned to cool only occupied rooms. |
| circulating while maintaining the air's | | | | |
| moisture content. | | | | If controlling heating costs is your primary |
| | | | concern, radiant heat panels offer an easy, |
| Radiant heat panels require no maintenance or | | | | cost effective and healthy way to retrofit |
| service because there are no moving parts. | | | | your home with comfortable, reliable heat. |
| | | | |
| With separate thermostats for each room, | | | | offers a unique look at geothermal heating |
| zoned heating is easy as turning a light | | | | and cooling, hydro and wind power, radiant |
| switch on and off. Significant energy savings | | | | heating, solar heating systems and pellet |
| can be realized by allowing only the occupied | | | | burning stoves. |
| areas to be heated. The quick response time | | | | |