Instead of only blowing cold air around a building, you can cool the floor, allowing it to "sponge" heat loads from the space

Radiant cooling

What do people love about radiant cooling?

By circulating cool fluid from a chiller or heat pump through a radiant panel, you can actively lower the surface temperatures in the room. This lets you silently condition a warm space, even if it has high ceilings, like an atrium.
Radiant cooling can be use in conjunction with radiant heating systems, utilizing the same network of RAUPEX^® pipe, embedded in a surface. For the ultimate in efficiency, couple radiant cooling with geoexchange systems.
Radiant cooling is an energy efficient way to address sensible loads in a space.

Radiant Cooling in Schools and Universities Online Seminars

Coffee with Caleffi™ online seminar:

Guest speaker Max Rohr explains the physics of absorbing heat energy through a network of pipes and discusses application considerations for an energy efficient system design.

View archived online seminar

Pre-recorded REHAU online seminar:

An overview of energy efficient heating and cooling applications, with a focus on case studies in education facilities. See the comfort and efficiency benefits these universities have realized.

Watch here

Key benefits

Studies by building technology experts, including DOE and UC Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment, recommend radiant cooling as the technology with greatest potential for energy savings at competitive or reduced investment costs.

Thermal comfort
The human body feels at its best when it can regulate at least 50% of its heat emission via radiation. Radiant cooling provides a comfortable environment by optimizing the surface temperature of the occupants’ surroundings and efficiently absorbing unwanted heat from the space.

Energy efficiency
By surrounding you with cooled surfaces, radiant cooling allows you to set your thermostat a few degrees higher. A New Buildings Institute research found that radiant buildings are more energy efficient than 90% of comparable buildings, with 2/3 receiving an EnergyStar score of 90 or above.

The power to choose both
You do not need to choose between optimizing comfort and energy efficiency in commercial buildings. By integrating a radiant heating/cooling system with a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS), both of these performance attributes can be optimized.

How it Works

A hydronic radiant system takes advantage of the superior heat transfer properties of water to absorb heat energy, while air-based cooling efficiently removes excess humidity. By shifting some of the cooling load to the radiant system, air handling equipment and ductwork can be significantly downsized.

What capacity can you expect?
The capacity of a radiant cooling system depends on factors such as insulation, pipe spacing, floor construction and indoor air temperatures. Under optimal design conditions, capacities of a floor system up to 16 Btu/h∙ft² can be achieved, with more typical capacities in the 8 to 12 Btu/h∙ft² range. Ceiling systems can achieve nearly double this output.

What about condensation?
Control of humidity and entering water temperature eliminates potential for condensation. By following A SHRAE Standards 55 and 62.1, you prevent the conditions that would allow condensation to form on radiantly cooled surfaces.

Where does it work best?
Radiant cooling works best in a tightly sealed building that integrates radiant with a downsized, optimized forced-air system to meet the building’s fresh air requirements. New commercial construction is the best project for radiant cooling.

How can you get optimum results?
A radiant cooling system is designed similarly to a radiant heating system, with minor adjustments in pipe diameter and pipe spacing. By using an integrated design team approach including architects, engineers and contractors from the early phases of your project design, your building will realize superior energy performance with REHAU radiant heating and cooling systems.

Installation

Radiant cooling is achieved by embedding a network of PEXa pipes in a concrete, installation methods exist to meet design requirements.

Traditional concrete slab
Uni-directional with insulation underneath to condition the space above. This universal application of radiant cooling is frequently used in atrium spaces and a great choice for schools, municipal buildings and offices.

Thermally Activated Building System (TABS)
Bi-directional to condition the space above and below.This application method provides maximum energy efficiency and is great for more integrated project designs, and those that do not include a drop ceiling.

Best practice idea: A "hybrid" system pairs radiant cooling inside the buidling with a Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS). This method decouples sensible and latent loads, allowing the key variables that optimize comfort and energy efficiency to be independently and precisely controlled.

References

SDcourthouse_PhotoByBruceDamonte_08 - 98678

San Diego Central Courthouse | San Diego, CA

RAUMAT is a great fit for this high-traffic, modern courthouse.

University of Washington Life Sciences Building | Seattle, WA

REHAU radiant heating and cooling helps University of Washington handle demanding solar loads.

Belmont Farm Supply | Belmont, ON

Radiant heating keeps floor temperature right for fertilizer storage while efficiently conditioning expansive warehouse

National Museum of the United States Army | Fort Belvoir, VA

Army museum enlists REHAU radiant system for climate control

University of Chicago Campus North Residential Commons | Chicago, IL

Creative radiant heating and cooling achieves ambitious energy goals.

Infosys Software Development Block | Hyderabad, India

World's largest side-by-side comparison of forced-air HVAC and radiant cooling.

Diversified Automotive | Charlestown, MA

REHAU Radiant keeps a Boston automotive processing plant running hot.

Whisper Valley Planned Community | Austin, TX

Master-planned community featuring net-zero ready homes.

Kent Building Supplies | Moncton, NB

RAUMAT is ideal solution for the expansive warehouse.

Milwaukee Art Museum | Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Art Museum showcases fine art and an unseen masterpiece in radiant heating design.

JSF High School | Brampton, ON

Toronto-area high school achieves comfort, energy efficiency goals with radiant heating and cooling.

Saint John Transit Operations Centre | Saint John, NB

Transit operations centre achieves energy efficiency in storage & maintenance facility

Minnie Howard School | Alexandria, VA

Geoexchange transforms campus into a working Green School Laboratory.

Earth Rangers Centre | Woodbridge, ON

A radiant heating and cooling system helps a wildlife refuge, hospital and education centre achieve high energy efficiency goals.

YWCA Toronto Elm Centre | Toronto, ON

Radiant heating and cooling system featuring an innovative thermally activated slab / geothermal HVAC design

Spring Creek Mountain Village | Canmore, AL

Radiant and geothermal combine in eco-minded mountain village

Waterloo Emergency Medical Services | Waterloo, ON

REHAU Radiant Heating System Helps Waterloo EMS Facility Achieve Ontario’s LEED Gold Rating

Chesapeake Bay Private Residence | Easton, MD

REHAU geothermal and radiant technologies cut monthly energy bills to $100.

Sweetwater Spectrum Campus | Sonoma, CA

Quiet and efficient were goals for this radiant design, in a home for adults with autism.

Colorado School of Mines' Weaver Towers | Golden, CO

INSULPEX delivers energy efficient cooling to student residences.

High Altitude Aviation Training Site | Gypsum, CO

One-of-a-kind military aviation training facility has a heating/cooling system to match.

Sheridan College Davis Campus | Brampton, ON

Trade school living laboratory uses radiant heating and cooling.

Learn more about radiant

How does radiant make it in to so many zero energy buildings? Watch this 8-minute online seminar for more radiant background, energy efficiency and comfort topics.

View online seminar

Request a sample design

Radiant articles in publication

Plumber Magazine 01.20
Collaborative planning enables tight radiant heating/cooling installation timeline at university

ASHRAE Journal 05.14
Variable Air Volume (VAV) system vs radiant: side-by-side comparison

HPAC Magazine 02.13
Don't Just Go With The Flow: Creating hydronic equipment schedules

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