The Science of Radiant – Feature Article – Reeves Journal.
Radiant cooling is a topic of interest to commercial building owners, because there are many situations where radiant systems can deliver significant cost savings over time.
The newly rebuilt LEED Platinum California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco is just such an example. Reeves Journal recently ran a story on the radiant solution that bylined by my business partner, John O’Reilly.
Situated in Golden Gate Park, the main exhibit area is a “bare-box, high-ceiling space with well-shaded glass exterior walls,” according to Paul Switenki, the project engineer for the museum remodel, from the San Francisco office of engineering and design firm, Arup.
Instead of intallating a forced air heating and cooling system, O’Brien Mechanical, Inc. of San Francisco installed PEX tubing in the floor of the museum. Low-horsepower pumps circulate water through the floor.
This keeps the heating (or cooling) near the floor—where museum visitors and personnel are situated—not blowing around near the ceiling, as with a conventional forced-air system.
Switenki said San Francisco’s mild climate makes it ideal for radiant heating and cooling systems.