Radiant Hydronic Panels

Radiant hydronic panels use hot water and a large surface area to distribute heat into a room, by effectively shining heat onto the surrounding walls, furniture and people. They are flatter profile than cast-iron radiators, so they can be installed in narrower spaces and not take up much room.

If you are designing a heat distribution system with radiant panels, look for the largest surface areas that you can fit. They are more effective when installed on the walls than on the ceiling. Note that radiant hydronic panels use hot water, while radiant heat panels are also available that use electricity for heat.

By having a larger surface area than baseboard radiators, radiant panels can distribute enough heat using a lower temperature of the water. This increases efficiency and the ability to use various heat sources, such as geothermal energy, heat pumps, and solar water heating.