Chilled ceilings exchange heat with the room mainly by radiation. The system involves cooling the metal ceiling panels with chilled water. There is a separate low volume air system to meet the ventilation and humidity control requirements. The system provides big benefits in regard to:
• Comfort – radiated cooling is perceived to be more comfortable and the possibility of cold drafts is practically eliminated due to only a small amount of air being required for ventilation and humidity control
• Energy savings – the system uses relatively high chilled water temperatures resulting in large savings in running costs of the chillers. There are also big savings in fan energy to move air around the building because the system does not rely on air for heat exchange and therefore little air is required.
• These benefits have been recognized particularly in Europe and now the system is very popular there and often essential to meet low energy usage building codes. The system benefits are now also being recognized in the USA and Asia.
Barcol-Air supply the system design with all materials including the chilled ceiling panels with integrated heat exchangers, the ceiling support systems and the diffusers required for the ventilation system.