HEATING, VENTILATION & AIR CONDITIONING
KEEPING TABS ON SMART COOLING
With temperatures continuing to rise, building overheating is becoming a common occurrence. Technologies such as Thermally Activated Building Structures (TABS) have gone a long way towards helping to solve these issues, but with unprecedented and changeable weather now the reality for
many, Franz Huelle, technical manager at REHAU Building Solutions, explains how they are now using smart solutions to help get the maximum benefits from TABS
TABS uses the large thermal mass of concrete building structures as a buffer for the changing cooling or heating loads during the day
REHAU’s smart room thermostat system, NEA SMART 2.0
M
anaging temperatures is more of an issue than ever thanks to the increasing effects
of climate change. The Met Office documented that the number of ‘extremely hot days’ in the UK that exceed over 25.0˚C could increase nearly fourfold from 10% to 37% if global temperatures rise by just 4.0˚C. So the need to find solutions to this problem is growing.
TIME FOR TABS One option is Thermally Activated Building Structures (TABS) technology, which helps to improve the thermal modulation of the UK’s building fabric. TABS uses the large thermal mass of concrete building structures as a buffer for the changing cooling or heating loads during the day. It does this by running hot or cold water through pipes within the slab,
which helps to regulate temperature. TABS offers great cooling and heating properties to commercial buildings, especially as it is a passive, low-carbon, cooling solution. However, it is not without its limitations. The higher thermal mass of TABS can sometimes lead to overshooting of a room’s temperature, particularly when starting the system or changing from reduced to normal operation. Using precise temperature monitoring is
becoming more critical as we aim to balance the impact of climate change, alongside improving the performance and efficiency of buildings.
THINKING SMART Here, smart solutions can offer enhanced control for TABS users. New innovations allow for increased control over temperature, which is vital if more adverse weather conditions are expected. New technology, like REHAU’s NEA SMART 2.0 system, take the core and return temperatures into consideration – to achieve an optimum control behaviour for radiant systems. Smart technology ensures systems are working
efficiently, while also potentially reducing power usage. The reduction in energy usage can lead to carbon savings across the board, and help buildings reach sustainability goals. In anticipation of this demand, REHAU updated
its industry-leading smart room thermostat system, NEA SMART 2.0, to include a unique control algorithm specially designed for systems with high thermal mass such as TABS. The new functionality makes it the only all-in- one radiant heating and cooling control system on the market that can control standard radiant heating and cooling systems in the floor or ceiling, as well as radiant systems with a high thermal mass such as TABS. Technological innovations will be key to battling rising temperatures in an environmentally friendly way. Using these developments to help improve how commercial buildings are cooled and heated could be a potentially major step in a more efficient future.
REHAU Building Solutions
www.rehau.com/uk-en
40 ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Spring 2024
www.essmag.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
