LowUP success stories: the Underfloor Heating system developed by RDZ

LowUP – which stands for ‘Low valued energy sources UPgrading for buildings and industry uses’– will contribute to achieving Europe’s GHG reduction targets and increase energy efficiency.  The project will develop and demonstrate three new efficient heating and cooling technologies that will significantly reduce both CO2 emissions and primary energy consumption. Heating and cooling refers to the energy needed to warm and cool buildings, both residential and tertiary (i.e. office buildings, hospitals etc.) and includes the energy needed in nearly all industrial processes to manufacture products that we use every day. It accounts for 50% of the EU’s annual energy consumption, of which 85% comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas.

Led by the Spanish firm ACCIONA, LowUP gathers 13 partners (3 large companies, 3 research and technology organisations and 7 SMEs) from 7 European countries. During 42 months, the consortium will develop and demonstrate in a relevant environment one heating and one cooling system for office buildings, and one heat recovery system for industrial processes.

RDZ Underfloor Heating in LowUP Project: Innovation for Efficiency, Safety and Excellent Indoor Comfort

In the LowUP project funded by the European Commission about Europe’s GHG reduction targets and high energy efficiency, RDZ’s role consists in the design and development of upgraded heating terminals in non-residential buildings. The goal of RDZ underfloor heating system in the LowUP project is to shift this technology to the “upper level”, creating a solution that can be combined not only with alternative energies, but even with the residual thermal energy coming from  waste resources. In this context, RDZ has designed a high-efficiency floor radiant system which employs water at a very low temperature (about 30°C) while providing heating output of about 60 W/m² though radiation. This compact solution has been conceived from existing products and by improving thickness, mechanic resistance and acoustic features. Specifically, this solution is a dry underfloor heating version with very low thermal inertia, which is suitable for modern future buildings with very high thermal insulation, where the internal load and the solar load rapidly affect the room conditions. For this reason, traditional (concrete-based) floor radiant systems cannot be considered in this kind of application.

In the RDZ-designed system for the LowUP project, uniform temperature distribution is achieved through special aluminium diffusers, in both straight and elbow versions, hosting and enveloping PE-RT pipe Ø 14 mm. In the place of concrete, the load distribution layer is made up of aluminium plates with high thermal conductivity and is lightweight. This means that the time it takes to heat up is faster and that it is more responsive. In addition, a special configuration for the pipe loops has been defined according to pipe size and downward insulation, while specific cutting-edge clips and studs have been designed in order to make production and installation extremely quick and easy. Furthermore, the insulation layer is available in a wide range of versions (thickness 25-35-45-55-65 mm), thus offering a versatile solution for very different applications, both residential and commercial ones, from nearly zero-energy buildings to retrofit projects.

More information:

UNDERFLOOR HEATING IN LOWUP PROJECT


About RDZ

RDZ, the Italian leading company in the field of radiant heating and cooling, with the certification ISO 9001:2008, has been working for 40 years to improve the room comfort with specific solutions for residential, commercial and industrial applications. RDZ designs and supplies radiant systems for floors, ceilings and walls, thermoregulation devices, heat pumps and air handling units for radiant installations.

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RDZ contact for LowUP: 

Michela Fresch

 

 

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