A study by the
National Association of
Home Builders (NAHB)
Research Center has
found that heating a
home with ceilingmounted
radiant panels
can use 33% less energy
than a heat pump, and
52% less energy than
electric baseboards. The
research project, completed
in May 1994, was
cosponsored by the U.S.
Department of Energy,
and SSHC Inc., maker of
the Enerjoy panels used
in the tests. Tests were
conducted in a Maryland
house equipped with
radiant panels and a twozone
forced-air heat
pump. Two employees of
the NAHB Research
Center lived in the
house and used the two
systems at specified times
during the heating season.
Data for electric
baseboards came from a
previous test in the same
house. While it's hard to
generalize from the
results of one test, this
study shows that in