Radiant Heat: 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 radiant panels will return
ease of installation, quick warm up, dust freean 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
concluded 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 air to air heatpanels in auxiliary buildings such as workshops or
pumps. The study concluded that "energy savingsstudios allows the use of all available floor space.
would be obtainable in a great portion of U.S.Radiant Heat Panel Installation and Cost
households".The low amperage requirements for ceiling heat
Radiant heat panels manufactured by Enerjoy arepanels can usually be provided by existing 120 or
about 1 inch thick, and range in size from 2'x2' to240 volt circuits. The 30%-70% wattage
2'x8'. They are textured to look like the ceiling andreduction over electric baseboard heating
can painted to match the room's décor witheliminates the need for dedicated wiring.
quality water based acrylic 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 cost
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. NoDisadvantages of Radiant Heat Panels
duct, 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 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