Sunrise ir

This project explores the use of infrared heating in housing in the Netherlands. 

There is an urgent need in the Netherlands to steer away from the use of natural gas for heating. Housing associations are looking for heating solutions that are cost-effective and can be easily installed without hassle for the occupants. Electric infrared heating panels are seen as a short-term option for that. Important questions are what the impact is of IR heating on the energy demand and for which houses, rooms and occupants these are suitable. Also, the impact of IR heating panels on grid flexibility requires investigation. Furthermore, the perception of users regarding IR heating and their behaviour regarding its use is still unclear. In this project 100 social houses will be equipped with a new heating, ventilation and domestic hot water system, and monitored. Moreover, questionnaires, supplemented with studies in the lab, will shed light on the perception and behavioural aspects. This project will develop models as input for the dynamic control of IR heating and the control strategy itself. These models will be developed from the perspective of building physics and environmental psychology. Based on these models, a dynamic control strategy will be developed, tested and integrated into IoT devices.