ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - 60

SOLVING PROBLEMS
COLUMN

Tips for Designing
Radiant Systems
BY MARY KATE MCGOWAN, MANAGING EDITOR

Engineers can use radiant systems to create and operate energy-efﬁcient, comfortable buildings for a variety of applications. While these energy-efﬁcient systems can
provide good indoor environmental quality, they can have challenges regarding limitations in load removal, controls, acoustics and capital costs.
Types of Radiant Systems
Before starting system design, engineers should determine if a radiant system will ﬁt into a project and what
type of radiant system would work best, said Bjarne
Olesen. Ph.D., Presidential/Fellow/Life Member ASHRAE,
and a professor at Technical University of Denmark.
The most common type of radiant systems are waterbased. These use piping embedded in the surface of
a space or radiant heating/cooling panels suspended
under the ceiling. A thermally activated building system (TABS) is a special water-based radiant system that
uses embedded piping in the main construction slabs
of a building; the piping is installed when the slabs are
made either as prefabrication or cast in-situ.
Electric radiant systems are also common. These are
used for heating, especially for renovations because they
do not take up much space. Common applications are
ﬂoor heating in areas where one would be barefoot, for
heating weekend or vacation homes and in places where
electricity is produced sustainability, such as by using
solar photovoltaics and hydropower, according to Olesen.
Because radiant heating and cooling systems use water
temperatures relatively close to room temperature, all
types of energy generation systems like boilers, district
60

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heating/cooling, heat pumps and solar collectors can be
used, said Olesen.
"Due to the lower temperature for heating and the
higher temperature for cooling, a radiant system will
increase the energy efﬁciency of the energy generation
system and have fewer losses in the distribution system," he said.
Radiant systems designed for industrial purposes tend
to be high-temperature radiant systems that use gas-ﬁred
heaters. A big market exists for water-based embedded
systems in many industrial buildings in Europe.

Where Can You Use Radiant Systems?
Radiant systems are used throughout the world, with
the largest market share landing in South Korea for residential ﬂoor heating applications at 99%. The systems are
also popular in Scandinavia and central Europe, including in commercial and industrial buildings in Germany
and neighboring countries, according to Olesen.
"Radiant systems are especially attractive in large
industrial and commercial buildings. Many airports,
shopping malls, atriums, storage buildings, etc., are
using radiant systems for heating and/or cooling," he
said.

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ASHRAE Journal - August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - August 2020

Contents
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - 3
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - 4
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - 5
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - 6
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - 7
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - 8
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ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - August 2020 - Cover4
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