Kühlwirkung einer an die Sohlplatte gekoppelten Fußbodenheizung - demonstriert an einem bewohnten Einfamilienhaus

Cooling capacity of an underfloor heating system coupled to the base slab of an occupied single-family home.

To improve summer thermal comfort, a base-slab recooling system was coupled to the underfloor heating system of a Berlin single-family home built in late 2008. In the present case, the existing underfloor heat ing system is connected to a pipe network laid inside the foundation slab. The reported experimental investigation proves the low soil temperature to be sufficient to prevent summer indoor-air temperatures from exceeding a comfortable level of 26 °C, using flow temperatures of approximately 22 °C. The energy demand for operating the circulation pump is only marginal, which is why this passive cooling method using a thermally activated ground slab is considered a particularly energy-efficient solution for cooling a building. Given that only minor additional costs are required for laying the pipe network, for materials and some hydraulic components, this technology is expected to be applied more frequently in residential buildings, too.