Solar radiant heating system
Posted by Solar energy guru | Filed under Solar thermal solutions
There are various heating systems used primarily for the purpose of heating homes. Places with freezing temperatures and cold climates require an efficient heating system to keep the homes warm and conducive for living. Among the various options available the first one is the traditional gas and oil furnace where the air is heated and regulated to the rooms using furnaces with the help of blowers that circulate the heated air.
The next type of heating system is the steam radiant heating system which is not in use nowadays. Here the steam is radiated along with the heat through pipes. Another type is the electric heat pump that can be used to shuffle heat to various locations and can also be used as air conditioners during summers. Another type amongst the heating systems is the space heaters which use kerosene oil or gas as fuel and are portable. The last one is the radiant ceiling or floor heaters where electrical elements are installed either on the floors or the walls or the ceilings of homes.
How does solar radiant heating system warm your house?
With such a variety available there is yet another heating system called the solar radiant heating system which is becoming the most popular choice. Here, you can use solar energy to heat your home. In this system plastic pipes are laid under the floorboards and embedded in light concrete through which hot water that is heated with by harnessing the solar energy is supplied and circulated through the vast expansive network of tubes which helps warm the floor and radiate heat into the rooms.
Here in solar radiant heating system the age old method used by Greeks and Romans who heated their bath floors with wood fires is implemented. It is proven that the best way to warm a floor is to heat it rather than make the heat travel via a fireplace, radiator or an air register. The most remarkable point in using a solar radiant heating system is that they are more efficient than the normal heating system where the air is forced into the rooms.
The advantages of using the solar radiant heating system
By using the solar radiant heating system the temperature in the room is constant throughout. Here heat does not escape through the ceiling and along the outside of the walls as it happens in the conventional system which reduces heat loss to up to 25% which also saves a lot of your money. This form of heating system makes the room comfortable for people to relax.
Also in the conventional heating system the warm air is circulated which radiates heat directly whereas the solar radiant heating system emits heat by radiation and not convection. As a result the heat is evenly distributed with no difference in temperature between the floor and the ceiling. There is no need of drafts to cool the rooms as the warm floor radiates heat from below where the temperatures are at the highest level on the floor and decreases as it rises towards the ceiling. This makes the surrounding much cooler and tolerable with cool air on the upper levels and a warm comfortable feeling at your feet.
In solar radiant heating system only the thermostat is visible with the hidden pipes laid underneath the floor during the construction of your house. You save a lot on your electricity bills. There is neither recirculation of pollen and dust nor any noisy baseboard heaters. There are no temperature fluctuations and no need for any rearrangement of the furniture of your house around the radiators, registers and heaters.
Using solar energy for radiant heating fifty to sixty percent of the energy is provided for to heat up your home. Since this system operates at low temperatures you can use any kind of floor covering such as wood, marble, tile, vinyl, or granite.
