Under Floor heating (also known as UFH) is about the best heat distribution terminal arrangement in your home space. The energy sources electricity, warm boiler water or solar energy may be used in the system as media for generating heat under floor for this purpose. Naturally therefore, the three types adopt three different technologies.
Further, of the three, electricity is generated most of the time with non renewable resources such as fossil fuel. The boiler hot water is too generated mostly using natural gas, LP gas, or oil due to convenience and availability. Only solar energy is truly a renewable source of energy.
However, analysis by the industry show electricity is undoubtedly the cleanest and most efficient (a near 100%) at the point of usage.
Efficiency of Electrical UFH
It is surprising to note the observations of independent experts that since the year 2003 the price of gas has risen by 92%. In contrast the cost of electricity has risen only by 54%.The reversal of this trend in the near future is unlikely due to the electricity generation from renewable fuels and the so far untapped technologies that are currently being pursued.
Typically a bath room which is generally heated for most of the time of the day (say for example 10 hours) will consume only about 2 units (kW-hr). And annually the power needed will still be less than 1kW. As things stand today, the annualized cost for gas is 1.5 more than for electricity according to the industry.
Can Electrical UFH efficiency be further Improved?