The primary source of radiant energy in the natural environment is the Sun. When standing in the Sun's rays a feeling of warmth is experienced, whilst in the shade it feels considerably cooler. Radiant heat warms all solid objects in its path.

Radiant energy is transmitted in the form of electromagnetic vibrations or waves, which are emitted by hot surfaces, travel in straight lines, just like light, and are absorbed by cooler solid objects and surfaces on which they fall.

Ambi-Rad has exploited this concept in its energy efficient radiant heating systems. Radiant tube heaters, mounted overhead, produce infra-red radiant heat that is directed downward by a reflector. The infra-red heat passes through the air without heating it and falls on people, floors and machinery etc below creating a comfortable all-round radiant warmth at low level, without wastefully heating the whole volume of the building, or the roof space. Because radiant heat can be controlled directionally, only the occupied areas of the building need to be heated, which enables considerable energy savings to be realised.

COMFORTABLE WARMTH

The objective of a radiant heating system is to ensure that the people in the building are comfortably warm. After all, without people the need for heating any building becomes largely superfluous.


The human body experiences a sensation of comfortable warmth when it is giving heat to its surroundings. If the body emits too much heat it feels cold. Conversely, if the body cannot emit sufficient heat it feels too hot.


By the correct application of a radiant heating system comfort levels can be optimised. Radiant heat warms objects and surfaces, increasing the mean radiant temperature and reducing the body's loss of heat to its surroundings. In addition by eliminating air movement, convective loss of heat from the body will also be reduced.

THE ADVANTAGES OF RADIANT HEAT

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