Experimental Comparison of Heating Emitters in Mediterranean Climate

Abstract

The need to increase the level of quality of indoor environments requires an extremely accurate definition of the microclimatic requisites to guarantee, in the spaces where people live and work, global and local conditions of comfort, considering, at the same time, the aspects related to energy savings and environmental sustainability. In this framework, the paper proposes a comparison of indoor parameters for three different types of heating emitters: fan-coils, baseboards heaters, and radiant floor systems. The comparison is based on seasonal monitoring performed in a test-room located in a Mediterranean climate; it can simulate an insulated room with office usage. The proposed indices demonstrate that the floor radiant system is characterized by lower horizontal and vertical differences in air temperature distribution that can guarantee more comfortable conditions and lower heat losses. The operative temperature is often higher than the neutral point; thus, management with a lower set-point temperature should be experimented with in further studies. More generally, the introduced method could help designers to choose the proper system and management strategy with the dual purpose to select a comfortable but energy savings-oriented operating temperature.