CHICAGO — No longer is radiant considered only an expensive niche heating or cooling option for savvy consumers. Rather, as energy costs continue to increase year after year, radiant heating and radiant cooling is becoming commonplace, especially in commercial installations. A number of radiant products were on display at the 2015 AHR Expo in Chicago.

At the AHR Expo, Rehau introduced a snow and ice-melting (SIM) system with smart controls to efficiently eliminate snow and ice buildup from outdoor surfaces by circulating a heat transfer fluid through Rehau PEXa pipes installed within the SIM area, increasing surface safety while lowering maintenance costs and minimizing environmental impact. The Rehau Smart Controls SIM Module senses everything from slab temperature and snow/ice to boiler supply and return fluid temperatures while also analyzing the weather forecast. When the control anticipates a storm, it can automatically warm the surface in advance of snow or ice.