Chapter 5.4.9.2 - Visible Radiant Hydronic Ceiling Heating Panels

Visible radiant hydronic ceiling heating panels are steel or aluminum panels that
may be mounted on the surface, flush with the surface, or suspended in, on, or from
the ceiling.The panel may be factory-assembled and ready for field installation and
connection or supplied in the form of components for further fabrication and assembly
on-site. If related building design or insulation changes are not specified, factory
panel or component construction is the sole determinant of panel back and side heat
loss potential and actual frontal output—essential factors for design and performance
specification.

The growth in specification of visible radiant hydronic panels has been hindered
primarily by higher first cost than more common gas or heat pump forced-air systems.
Growth in visible radiant hydronic panel systems is attributed to appreciation
of the normal benefits of radiant heating and the flexibility of energy choice. A discussion
of operating cost and lower comfort temperatures follows in Sec. 3, Chap. 3;
Sec. 5, Chap. 5; and Sec. 8, all in this Handbook. Features of radiant ceiling systems
are the absence of mechanical equipment within the occupied space and the freedom
to use all wall and floor space for whatever purpose is required.

Office productivity is an increasingly important consideration in heating system
selection. Proponents of ceiling radiant heating point to the noiseless, odorless,
draft-free comfort at lower temperatures from a heat source that is away from the
occupants’ personal space. Flexibility of modular panel relocation to accommodate
office layout alterations ensures that comfort need not be compromised by redesign
of space use. Localized heat delivery, characteristic of radiant heat transfer, contrasts
with convection heat delivery that is impacted by air temperature gradients, buoyancy,
and resulting air currents.

When radiant heating is used, air distribution for the purpose of heat delivery is
eliminated. Instead, air distribution is dictated solely by ventilation requirements.
ASHRAE Standard 62, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, defines the
requirements.The determination of comparative system air to be moved and filtered
or infiltrating is important input for determining overall system sizing, comfort, and
energy performance.The reader is referred to Sec. 7, Chap. 3 of this Handbook.

Visible radiant hydronic ceiling heating panels are steel or aluminum panels that
may be mounted on the surface, flush with the surface, or suspended in, on, or from
the ceiling.The panel may be factory-assembled and ready for field installation and
connection or supplied in the form of components for further fabrication and assembly
on-site. If related building design or insulation changes are not specified, factory
panel or component construction is the sole determinant of panel back and side heat
loss potential and actual frontal output—essential factors for design and performance
specification.

The growth in specification of visible radiant hydronic panels has been hindered
primarily by higher first cost than more common gas or heat pump forced-air systems.
Growth in visible radiant hydronic panel systems is attributed to appreciation
of the normal benefits of radiant heating and the flexibility of energy choice. A discussion
of operating cost and lower comfort temperatures follows in Sec. 3, Chap. 3;
Sec. 5, Chap. 5; and Sec. 8, all in this Handbook. Features of radiant ceiling systems
are the absence of mechanical equipment within the occupied space and the freedom
to use all wall and floor space for whatever purpose is required.

Office productivity is...
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