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Radiant solutions and the beginning of a new age…

March 10, 2017
I will introduce you to some means of providing comfort in highly glazed areas utilizing a state of the art electrically heated radiant window product that will change the way we look at providing comfort in a given building. This is a European product that has been in use over in the European market for over 30 years. It’s just now making its way across the pond. I will also be talking about some realistic future systems. 
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As many of my regular readers know, I have stepped down as the Executive Director of the RPA, effective April 1.  I want my fellow hydronics contractors to know that I fully intend to stay involved with this organization. It’s really the only game in town. I have offered to stay on as a volunteer to chair the Technical Committee.

As I have stated in the past, if you aren’t a member, please consider joining. The organization has our best interests in mind, that being to educate all parties concerned, advocate for hydronics use throughout the building industry, and to continue to develop codes and standards that will only benefit our industry.

So, back to the article... As you can see, it is no longer titled “From Where I Sit.” I thought about calling it From Where I Stand, but I rarely stand, so I nixed that one quickly. We have settled on Radiant Solutions. Believe it or not, I’ve been writing for this fine publication for 20 years. I’ve been in the industry for 40, so that means I’ve been writing articles for over half of my business career. That would be 120 articles (just for CONTRACTOR magazine alone) and at an average of 750 words per article, that equates to 90,000 words. You would think that with that being the case that I should have run out of things to write about long ago. Not to worry bunky. I’ve still got a lot to say.

I’d thought about naming the article Hydronic Radiant Solutions, but then that would limit me to talking only about hydronic systems, and I didn’t want to tie myself to only one energy source or methodology, hence Radiant Solutions. I intend to share some ideas with you that have been proven in the field to deliver the highest degree of comfort known to mankind, that being radiant — but not just radiant heating, but also radiant cooling. And not just about hydronics, but also about opportunities with electric radiant heating. And not just about heating and cooling, but also about some of the new and exciting energy sources making their way to the market. Things like thermal battery storage systems that extract energy from ice at 144 times the energy normally given up by one pound of water. Imagine what the thermal efficiency of a flat plate collector would be if it was looking at a huge block of ice as its target for its produced energy? I suspect it will be off the charts of most accepted programs.

I will also introduce you to some means of providing comfort in highly glazed areas utilizing a state of the art electrically heated radiant window product that will change the way we look at providing comfort in a given building. This is a European product that has been in use over in the European market for over 30 years. It’s just now making its way across the pond.

I will also be talking about some realistic future systems. How about a snowmelt system that can possibly provide more energy for the heating of DHW, or space heat or swimming pools and hot tubs than it uses in the way of energy for keeping sidewalks and driveways clear of ice and snow. Or how about a boiler control that has the ability to allow you access to change operating parameters and the ability to look at current operating conditions in real time, and possibly send you an email if something gets out of whack. It’s a part of the Internet Of Things.

So, as you can see, I have no shortage of subjects to keep me writing until I actually do retire. Buckle your seat belts, and get ready to continue learning. I’m not retiring. I’m just getting started.

Thank you for continuing to read my articles, and thank you for raising the bar of education. See you next month in my new duds.

Mark Eatherton material on this website is protected by Copyright 2017. Any reuse of this material (print or electronic) must first have the expressed written permission of Mark Eatherton and CONTRACTOR Magazine. Please contact via email at: [email protected].

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