1. Radiant Cooling:
Principle and systems
Dipl. Eng. / MSc Georgios Vagiannis
Project Manager Engineering and Special Projects
Engineering and Design,
Business Group Indoor Climate

2. ©Uponor 211 June 2013
Solutions:
Indoor climate
Uponor’s solutions create the
basis for a healthy and pleasant
indoor climate
• Suitable for various applications
• Trouble-free and reliable
• Energy efficient
• Tailored for individual needs
• Technologically advanced
• Enable architectural freedom
Unique thermal comfort
experience

3. ©Uponor 3
Uponor sustainable solutions for
residential buildings

4. ©Uponor 4
Uponor sustainable solutions for
commercial buildings

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evalPE-Xa pipes
9,9 x 1,1mm 25 x 2,3mm
14 x 2,0mm 32 x 2,9mm
16 x 2,0mm
pePEX Q&E pipes
17 x 2,0mm
20 x 2,0mm
MLC pipes
14 x 2,0mm 25 x 2,5mm
16 x 2,0mm 32 x 3,0mm
18 x 2,0mm … 110x10mm
20 x 2,25mm Riser System
Radiant heating/cooling – pipe material

6. ©Uponor 6
Low Exergy in practice
Innovative building technology solutions:
• Low temperature under floor heating and
high temperature under floor cooling
• Radiant Floors for Heating & Cooling
• Thermally Active Building Systems
Match the quality of supplied energy to
the quality needs of the demand side
Low temperature heating and high
temperature cooling!

7. Thermal comfort

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General Thermal Comfort
Thermal
comfort
Thermal
comfort
Air
temperature
Air
temperature
Mean radiant
temperature
Mean radiant
temperature
Air velocityAir velocity
HumidityHumidity
Metabolic
rate/activity
Metabolic
rate/activity
ClothingClothing
AdaptationAdaptation
ExpectationExpectation
Exposure
time
Exposure
time
Environmental
factors
Personal
factors

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Thermal comfort
People feel an average
temperature of room air
temperature and temperature
of surrounding surfaces:
cool air + warm surfaces
feels similar like
warm air + cool surfaces
With radiant cooling surfaces
the room temperature can be
increased with same thermal
comfort.

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Thermal comfort
Temperature we feel
(operative temperature)
The temperature we feel is the
average between the radiation
temperature and the
(convective) air temperature.
Air temperature: 26°C
Radiant temperature: 20°C
Operative temperature: 23°C
20°C
23°C
26°C

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Thermal comfort
A/C has a temperature profile
from cold close to A/C to
warm in distance from A/C.
An A/C system also produces
draught.
This causes thermal
discomfort for people.
Radiant cooling has an
equal temperature profile
all over the room surface
area without draught.

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Reducing cooling demand
The cooling load is
mainly defined by
- Internal load Qint
- Load from sun
radiation Qsun
- Convective load Qconv
The convective load is
proportional to the
temperature difference
Tout – Troom
Qsun
Qint
With radiant cooling the room
temperature can be increased
which reduces the convective
cooling load.

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Reducing cooling demand
q = U x (33-22)
U [W/m² K]
22 °C
26 °C q = U x (33-26)
33 °C
Reduced convective
cooling load by 36%

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Thermal comfort zone (high ceilings)
An A/C system
changes all air
volume in a room.
For people it is
important to create
a comfort
temperature in a
zone up to ~ 2,5 m
above the floor.
With a floor
cooling system
this can be
realised without
high air change
rates.
~ 2,5 m

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Special: sun radiation on floor
A special benefit of
radiant floor cooling is to
remove heat from sun
radiation onto the floor
by very efficient way.
With radiant floor
cooling the floor
temperature is kept
low and the heat
transfer to the room is
decreased.

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107
129
148
15
35
55
75
95
115
135
155
25 20 15
W/2m
CALCULATED CAPACITY IN AN ATRIUM
WITH DIRECT SUNSHINE ON THE FLOOR
Supply water temperature, oC
Underfloor cooling in open areas

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1 l of water can transfer the same
amount of energy than 3,5 m,³ of
air or
a ¾” pipe can transfer as much
energy as a 14” round duct.
Pumping fluids as opposed to
moving air can reduce the point-
to-point transfer costs by as much
as 95% on a BTU-to-BTU basis.
1 l water
3,5 m³ air
Energy transfer capability by water and air

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Radiant systems vs. air systems
No cooling - decreased
performance
Low energy costs
Low operation costs
Constant temperature
Draught
Noise
High energy costs
High operation costs
Temperature ramps in thermal
comfort range
Reasonable energy costs
Low operation costs,
high electricity savings,
minimal maintenance costs

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Behagliches
Raumklima
12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
Air temperature [°C]
Meansurfacetemperature[°C] Comfort
temperature
area
Thermal comfort
according to P.O.
Fanger
Effect of the operative temperature on thermal
comfort
With radiant cooling
With radiant heating

20. Uponor cooling systems –
overview and Standard
classification

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Uponor TAB-System
Contec, since 1997
Uponor TAB-System
Contec ON, since 2005
Comfort Panel, since 2007
(OEM-Product from SWE)
Uponor cooling systems – pioneering
Uponor underfloor
cooling, since 1990s
Plaster ceiling cooling
system

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Classification of systems, ISO 11855 & EN 1264
Pipes isolated from main building
structure
A - System with pipes embedded in
the screed or concrete
B - System with pipes embedded
outside of the screed
C - System with pipes embedded
in the screed
D – Plane section systems
Type A Type B
Type B
Type D

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Different systems
for each
requirement
Uponor systems for floor cooling

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Classification of systems, ISO 11855 & EN 15377
Pipes isolated from main building structure
G - System with pipes embedded in a
wooden construction
Pipe under subfloor:Pipe in subfloor:

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Uponor systems for wall cooling

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Thin pipe system for plastered
ceilings
Uponor Comfort Panel for
suspended ceilings
Uponor systems for ceiling cooling
Uponor Gypsum Panel for
suspended ceilings

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Uponor Gypsum Panel - design
EPS 200 insulation, 27 mm
Fibre reinforced plasterboard, 15 mm
Uponor PE-Xa pipe 9.9 x 1.1 mm
With Oxygen diffusion barrier
Pipe distance = 50 mm

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• Active panel dimensions
2000 x 1200 mm
1000 x 1200 mm
500 x 1200 mm
Uponor Gypsum Panel - dimensions
• Blind panel dimensions
2000 x 1200 mm

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Classification of systems, ISO 11855 & EN 15377
Thermally-Active Building
Systems (TABS)
E - System with pipes
embedded in the massive
concrete slabs

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Uponor TAB System
Variable solutions
Standard Thermal socket
Surface close Surface close, High performance module

31. Uponor
radiant cooling/heating
references

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• Uponor radiant cooling applications or projects ( ) are
applied in all climatic regions incl. hot and humid
Uponor cooling projects worldwide
World climatic zones according to Neef.
Source: tis-gdv.de

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References in Hamburg

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Hamburg HafenCity
Chosen reference projects
2
Elbphilharmonie
3
Unilever headquarter
45
SKAI
1
Ericusspitze
Marco-Polo-Tower

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National Library,
Prague Czech Republic
The Krankhaus
Buildings, Cologne,
Germany
California Academy of Science,
San Francisco, USA
Opera House Oslo,
Norway
COOPER Union,
New York, USA
KLIMAHAUS science center
Bremerhaven, Germany
DOLCE VITA TEJO shopping
centre, Lisbon, Portugal
Bangkok International
Airport, Thailand
Glenelly Wine Estate,
Stellenbosch South Africa
Gardens By the Bay,
Singapore
Hamburg International
Airport, Germany
Bayer Lighthouse,
Qingdao, China
Sheikh Zayed Desert
Learning Centre,
Al Ain, UAE
BMW Welt, Munich, Germany
American University of
Beirut, Lebanon
Zero Energy Office
Building, Bangi, Malaysia
Uponor radiant cooling projects in all climates

36. ©Uponor 36
Study on energy saving of
Radiant System in a commercial building
Primary energy use for heating, cooling and ventilation,
resulting from an EnergyPlus simulation of a typical
office building (511m2), operated in different European
locations. The building design fulfill national energy
regulations.
All systems works with condensing gas boilers and air
cooled chillers.
The radiant ceiling system has in addition the
possibility of free cooling through groundwater (18°C)
Source: Site energy, source energy and CO2 emissions: savings potential with radiant systems –
2010 - Politecnico of Torino – Corgnati, Fabrizio