Radiant Heat Panels: Red Hot Retrofit

Red hot as in sales, that is. The reasons behindallowing only the occupied areas to be heated.
the increasing popularity of radiant heat panels areThe quick response time of radiant panels will
ease of installation, quick warm up, dust freereturn an unoccupied room to a comfortable
heat, and low cost relative to other retrofittemperature in minutes.
heating systems.Radiant Heat Panel Applications
For the same price as a pellet stove, you couldRadiant heat panels are an excellent source of
heat a 1,500 square foot home and not have toheat for bathrooms (no more foggy mirrors), log
deal with locating, storing and lugging 40 poundhomes, gazebos, screened in porches and stables.
bags of wood pellets.If you're heating a greenhouse, radiant heat will
A U.S. Department of Energy sponsored studyprotect your plants in the absence of sunlight by
found that radiant heat panels were 52% lessmaintaining root temperatures.
expensive to operate than electric baseboardReplacing a wood stove with ceiling mounted
heat and 33% more cost effective than air to airpanels in auxiliary buildings such as workshops or
heat pumps. The study concluded that "energystudios allows the use of all available floor space.
savings would be obtainable in a great portion ofRadiant Heat Panel Installation and Cost
U.S. households".The low amperage requirements for ceiling heat
Radiant panels are about 1 inch thick, and range inpanels can usually be provided by existing 120 or
size from 2'x2' to 2'x8'. They are textured to look240 Volt circuits. The 30%-70% wattage
like the ceiling and can be painted to match thereduction over electric baseboard heating
room's decor with a quality water based acryliceliminates the need for dedicated wiring.
paint.Wherever a single panel is installed, the existing
The panels operate at 150-170 degrees F. and120-volt capacity circuit is usually adequate for the
radiate heat to objects and people in the room.additional load.
The panel itself reaches operating temperature inInstallation of radiant heat panels typically costs
only three to five minutes.between $1.25 and $1.50 per square foot of
Advantages of Radiant Heat Panelsheated space. For a 1,500 sq. ft. house the
Heat loss from ducts, even insulated ones,estimated cost would be $1,900 to $2,300. That's
reduces the efficiency of forced air systems.considerably less than the cost for a complete
Additional leakage is created by the internal airforced air system.
pressure generated by forced air systems. NoDisadvantage of Radiant Heat Panels
ducts, no pressure, no leakage problems.The major limitation of radiant heat panels is the
Since the need for a blower to circulate heat isabsence of a cooling function. Installing a ducted
eliminated, so is the cost of electricity to run thecentral air conditioner would undermine many of
blower motor. Without a blower, there are nothe advantages of using radiant panels.
filters that need to be replaced.One way around this would be to install a mini-split
Heating without moving air also eliminates draftsair conditioning system. The mini-split, like radiant
and prevents dust and pollen from circulating whilepanels, is also a cost effective retrofit solution and
maintaining the air's moisture content.can be zoned to cool only occupied rooms.
Radiant heat panels require no maintenance orIf controlling heating costs is your primary
service because there are no moving parts.concern, radiant heat panels offer an easy, cost
With separate thermostats for each room, zonedeffective and healthy way to retrofit your home
heating is easy as turning a light switch on and off.with comfortable, reliable heat.
Significant energy savings can be realized by