At 280,000 sq ft (26,013 sq m), Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine is one of the largest high schools in the state. Thanks to architecture and engineering company Harriman Associates, a neighbor in Auburn as well as one of the most experienced firms of its kind in the country, the school is also one of the most comfortable and efficiently heated, with radiant floor heating provided throughout the building.
“Radiant heat is a very comfortable, very satisfying heat as compared to a forced air convection system, heating people and objects directly as opposed to blowing hot air on them,” explained Harriman principal and mechanical engineer David Story, PE, LEED AP. “It’s a lot like feeling the warmth of the sun. It’s more natural and I think people tend to feel better with it.”
In addition to the comfort aspect, the radiant heating system designed for Edward Little allows the use of much lower temperature water—about 130°F (54°C) as opposed to the 180°F (82°C) demanded by a traditional hydronic heating system using baseboards or radiators, for example. As an efficiency bonus, Harriman has designed the system to heat the water primarily through cost-effective geothermal energy.
“Radiant heating delivers this very high-quality heat at lower energy costs,” noted Story. “I think the technology is especially appropriate in a learning environment where maintaining comfort is especially important, and in a situation where spending is always under scrutiny.”
Radiant heating uses a network of specialized piping, installed strategically under the floor, to circulate warm water throughout a building. At Edward Little, Harriman selected REHAU to supply the 110,000 ft (32,528 m) of 1/2 in. RAUPEX O2 barrier crosslinked polyethylene (PEXa) pipe in the radiant system design.
“We have specified radiant heating for years, it’s a specialty of ours, and we’ve worked with REHAU to deliver quality radiant installations from the beginning,” said Story. “They give us a good quality product backed by great service and responsiveness. They are definitely our number one preferred radiant supplier.”