Heat pumps meet heritage buildings: surface heating and cooling using natural building materials

Underfloor heating and clay are the ideal combination when it comes to the refurbishment, restoration and renovation of old buildings and listed buildings, as they ensure an ideal indoor climate and protect the building fabric. Underfloor heating works best when combined with a heat pump, which, in addition to heating, also enables cooling or even passive cooling (natural cooling). Resource-efficient and environmentally friendly construction methods are becoming increasingly important, particularly in this day and age. As part of efforts to combat climate change, flow temperatures for heating systems must be reduced, which is perfectly achievable in conjunction with surface heating. Electric surface heating systems can also be used, which can be combined with photovoltaic systems.

WEM surface heating systems primarily generate infrared or radiant heat. By regulating the temperature of surfaces, this type of heating offers a high degree of safety and protection for historic buildings, as well as a significant increase in living comfort. Significant energy savings are achieved through the combination of renewable energy sources, low flow temperatures and the simultaneous installation of internal insulation. Thanks to the wide range of systems available – including dry-construction clay systems for ceilings (for heating and cooling), for dry-construction walls or for rendering, as well as various dry-construction systems for underfloor heating – there is a suitable solution for almost every application in old buildings and listed buildings.

In his presentation, Gerd Meurer outlines various concepts for installing surface heating in walls, ceilings and floors, explains how they work and highlights key planning details. He will also present several completed examples from energy-efficient refurbishment projects using natural building materials.