Lab Evaluation of Downward Capacity of Radiant Ceiling Panel Systems
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
This project investigated the cooling delivery effectiveness of radiant ceiling panels as a function of attic insulation level using multiple laboratory testing and analytical methodologies. Delivery effectiveness is the heating or cooling energy delivered to a conditioned space divided by the total heating or cooling energy added or removed by the space conditioning system. The lower the losses of the heating or cooling delivery method, the higher the delivery effectiveness. For ducted systems, delivery effectiveness is reduced by both air leakage and thermal losses (especially if the ducts are installed in attics), while the delivery effectiveness of a radiant system supplied by hot and cold water is only reduced by thermal losses, which can be mitigated by sufficient insulation above, or at the "back" of the panel. Being installed at or below the ceiling plane, sufficient back insulation should be provided by default in the form of the attic insulation above the radiant ceiling panels. Site-built radiant ceiling panels were evaluated at Frontier Energy’s Building Science Research Laboratory (BSRL) in a uniquely designed environmental test chamber with independently controllable indoor and attic spaces and a height-adjustable ceiling.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Buildings and Industry. Building Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 2479125
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/TP--5500-89962; MainId:90741; UUID:6aff60d5-7b77-4ee9-9947-2bc61829c128; MainAdminId:75338
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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