Improvement of thermal comfort and energy efficiency in historical and monumental buildings by means of localized heating based on non-invasive electric radiant panels

An original methodology is developed to evaluate the performance of such localized heating systems; the methodology is based on a dynamic simulation model, calibrated with temperature measurements, which takes into account the geometry and technical characteristics of electrical radiant panels and allows different control strategies to be compared. The methodology is applied to a relevant Italian historical building. The results show that the panels, despite their well-known low-exergy efficiency, may become a viable and attractive solution for historical buildings without undermining their preservation requirements. Apart from significantly increasing thermal comfort, electric radiant panels may also allow annual heating energy savings up to 70% for the selected building.