Radiant Heating and Cooling Systems. Part one

The use of radiant heating systems has several thousand years of history.1,2 The early stage of radiant system application was for heating purposes, where hot air from flue gas (cooking, fires) was circulated under floors or in walls. After the introduction of plastic piping water-based radiant heating and cooling with pipes embedded in room surfaces (floor, wall, and ceiling), the application increased significantly worldwide. Earlier application of radiant heating systems was mainly for residential buildings because of its comfort and free use of floor space without any obstruction from installations. For similar reasons, as well as possible peak load reduction and energy savings, radiant systems are being widely applied in commercial and industrial buildings.