Comparing the economics of electric and water underfloor heating

Abstract

Introduction. Using underfloor heating to maintain warm temperature inside manned rooms is a widely spread international practice. Domestic design organizations also take advantage of this solution, as it makes a positive impact on the indoor microclimate and thermal comfort. Underfloor heating outperforms traditional heating systems in terms of particular operational characteristics. The application of underfloor heating is a relevant issue, addressed by numerous publications, however, researchers tend to focus on the heat emission capacity of floors that have different constructions. The goal of this research is to analyze the economics of electric and water underfloor heating systems. Materials and methods. The aggregate cost method is employed to perform the economic analysis of underfloor heating systems. The co-authors have calculated capital and operating expenses, broken down by the years. The co-authors compare electric and water underfloor heating systems installed in the rooms having the floor area of 5, 10, and 20 sq. meters. The rooms are located in Moscow. Indoor heat losses are considered to be linearly dependent on the heated floor area. Results. The co-authors have calculated capital and operating expenses incurred in the above rooms. They have also drawn an aggregate heating cost graph for three rooms having two types of heating systems installed. The costs are broken down by the years. Conclusions. Although the research findings describe individual cases, they can serve as the basis for a general conclusion that the payback period of an underfloor heating system depends on the heated floor area and that electric underfloor heating systems are better for small rooms. Further studies can focus on alternative pipeline design systems, different power consumption modes of the pump depending on the circuit length, and non-continuous heating systems.