Putting the case for underfloor heating

Warmafloor, underfloor heating, space heating
Demonstrating the benefits of underfloor heating — the award-winning Swindon Central Library.

Mike Lamb argues the benefits of a method of heating that is naturally more efficient than those based on heating the air in a space.

The Coalition’s aim of becoming the ‘greenest government ever’ and halving the UK’s carbon emissions levels by 2025 has already brought energy efficiency and the environment to the top of the construction industry’s agenda. Coupled with this, building regulations, such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, are driving efficiency into the building trade. Now businesses wanting to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability need to acknowledge the direct correlation between the technologies used in the infrastructure of a building and its overall energy performance.

Given that the heat used in our buildings is responsible for around half of all energy consumed in the UK and accounts for nearly half of the UK’s carbon emissions , the way in which an internal space is heated is a key factor in the delivery of energy efficient buildings. A recent YouGov survey found that 96% of workers take action if they find themselves in a room hotter than their optimum temperature — opening the window, turning on a fan or turning up the air conditioning — all of which negate the efficiency of the building-management systems put in place to control energy consumption. When constructing and managing a building, the priority needs to be a HVAC system that can best deliver a consistent level of comfort in line with Government efficiency targets. Surface heating and cooling is one such solution that can help to control building energy use.

We been involved in this market since 1986, and I believe that the tide is turning as architects, specifiers and suppliers better understand the benefits of this technology in providing a more efficient operational performance that will help to create buildings that are sustainable for the future.

Surface heating and cooling systems regulate the indoor climate of buildings more efficiently than traditional systems such as radiators and air-conditioning units, and they reduce the energy required in operation. Suitable for both large and small projects, these systems not only provide homogenous temperatures without draughts and dust but also bring substantial cost savings over the lifetime of a building. Whilst surface heating and cooling is widely used in Europe, the UK has been a little behind the curve. The construction industry is, however, beginning to refocus its attention on this method to improve efficiency.

Energy efficiency was a key part of the brief for Swindon’s new Central Library, which comprises over 2000 m2 over four floors. Wanting to ensure the optimum comfort levels throughout the whole building, Warmafloor divided the internal space into 28 separate heating zones, allowing independent adjustments to be made to cater for the varying temperature and timing requirements in each area. This flexibility offers a practical solution for the wide range of uses the library space needs to cater for and results in lower energy consumption and greater control of the building operation costs. The system also helps preserve library books and archival collections, as temperature and relative humidity contribute significantly to the breakdown of materials.

An underfloor heating system facilitates an increased operational efficiency that reduces a building’s energy consumption and aids the Government’s sustainability agenda. Whilst the conventional heat source for a radiator system is a gas, oil or coal boiler, producing water at up to 80C, surface heating and cooling systems — which radiate heat as opposed to emitting via convection currents — require less energy to heat. They can also make effective use of a wide range of renewable heat sources with low CO2 emissions. The system at Swindon’s Central Library is powered by two condensing gas boilers, can operate with at a 1 to 2 K lower air temperature, whilst delivering the same level of comfort.

Such resource efficiency is demonstrated in several elements of Swindon Library’s design.

The surface heating system incorporates solar water heating, which is supported by the gas-fired condensing boilers. The system’s insulation has an ozone-depleting potential and global-warming potential of less than five, and the building itself is naturally ventilated by passive-stack ventilation on the lower three floors and windows on the top floor — offering a highly efficient but low-carbon system. The underfloor heating and cooling solution also enables the building users to make more efficient use of its internal space, as the removal of conventional heat sources such as radiators and air-conditioning units in favour of the underfloor alternative, created room for more facilities and a higher occupant capacity.

With the national and EU agenda increasingly focused on sustainability, longevity is key in limiting the impact of current building work on the environment in the future. The underfloor system installed at Swindon Library is low-maintenance and uses pipework with a 100-year guarantee. The library has been recognised for its green credentials, having won two environmental awards from the Building Research Establishment and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. It has been awarded a BREAAM excellent rating of 72.51%.

Mike Lamb is managing director of Warmafloor.

For more information on this story, click here:  Nov 2011, 160
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