Uponor Solutions for modernization projects

Radiant heating for floors, ceilings, or walls

Uponor provides specialized systems for renovation

Climate protection targets and the associated new legislation are also bringing energy-efficient radiant heating systems into focus in modernization projects.

The following shows why underfloor, ceiling, and wall heating systems are increasingly in demand and what options they offer.

The crisis in new construction is causing the construction industry to focus more on existing buildings. This is because it offers great potential: 85 % of buildings in the European Union were built in 2000 or earlier and 75 % have a poor energy balance¹. When it comes to reducing emissions in the building sector, energy-efficient refurbishment of existing buildings is absolutely essential. After all, existing buildings account for around 75% of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption during their useful life, the operation and maintenance phase, while new buildings only account for 25% of gray energy and energy consumption ².

Changes to the EU directive on the energy performance of buildings

The EU's revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive makes a major contribution to the European Union's goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The measures include ³:

national trajectories to reduce the average primary energy use of residential buildings
enhanced long-term renovation strategies, to be renamed national Building Renovation Plans
a gradual phase-out of stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels, starting with the end of subsidies to such boilers from 1 January 2025
one-stop-shops for the energy renovations of buildings for home-owners, small and medium-sized enterprises and other stakeholders
the modernisation of buildings and their systems and better energy system integration (for heating, cooling, ventilation, charging of electric vehicles and renewable energy)

Based on these measures, the countries of the European Union have developed and adopted or are currently revising their individual legislation. The impact on the renovation market in the respective countries is massive. Buildings with the demonstrably worst energy balances are particularly affected.

Refurbishment not only offers building owners financial advantages, it is also more sustainable than a new build because the “gray energy balance” ⁴is better. Refurbishment is often carried out to reduce the heating or cooling load. In addition to insulation and shading, the heating system installed plays a key role. According to an analysis by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission's Science and Knowledge Service, “heat pumps play a central role in the transition to a climate-neutral society and are also seen as a key instrument for achieving independence from foreign sources of oil and gas.“ ⁵

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¹ Source: Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (europa.eu)
² Source: What are the general public’s needs, concerns and views about energy efficiency retrofitting of existing building stock? A sentiment analysis of social media data - ScienceDirect
³ Source: Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (europa.eu)
⁴Grey energy refers to the total amount of energy required during the entire life cycle of a building, from the extraction of raw materials to production, transportation, use and disposal. In the case of a renovation, the amount of gray energy is generally lower, as the basic structure is already in place and fewer new materials are required.
⁵ Source: JRC134045_01.pdf (europa.eu)

EU heat pump initiative and actual systems in the markets

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As a result, the EU has drawn up a plan to accelerate the production and installation of heat pumps. The JRC study examines the potential impact of the expansion of heat pump systems. The analysis shows that replacing 30 million oil and gas boilers by 2030 (around 35% of gas and oil boilers) would lead to a 36% reduction in gas and oil consumption in these buildings and a 28% reduction in CO2 emissions. ⁶ In the vast majority of cases, switching from a fossil-fuel boiler to a heat pump would lead to lower heating costs. According to the JRC, although the additional heat pumps would place a greater burden on the electricity grids, the impact would be relatively small and could be mitigated or even eliminated by activating flexibility measures on the demand side, such as the activation of the heat pump by the energy supplier, for example during peak charging times or switching off at times of high electricity demand. “The reduction in CO2 emissions achieved will increase with the decarbonization of the electricity system. In countries with a low-carbon electricity mix, such as Sweden, France, Luxembourg, and Finland, the operation of heat pumps is almost carbon-neutral,” says the JRC study.

⁶ Considering the CO2 emission factors from 2020 for electricity of all EU Member States.

The number of gas and oil boilers in residential buildings varies greatly from one EU Member State to another. According to the JRC study, Italy and Germany have the highest number of gas boilers in homes, followed by France, Spain, and the Netherlands. Based on these figures, these countries together account for almost 75% of the total of 68 million installed gas boilers in the European Member States. As a result, Germany would have the greatest potential to reduce gas and oil consumption with a potential saving of 125 TWh, followed by France with 50 TWh, Italy with 48 TWh, Spain with 22 TWh and the Netherlands with 18 TWh. Replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump could lead to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. Depending on the proportion of renewable energies in the country's electricity mix, replacing a gas boiler with an air-to-water heat pump would have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 96%.

Heat pumps work optimally when they are combined with radiant heating, for example underfloor heating. The difference in efficiency between underfloor heating and radiators is even greater with heat pumps and when connected to a local heating network than with conventional heat generator systems. Heat pumps benefit from the lower flow temperatures that are achieved in modernization projects by reducing the heating load on the one hand, and by the increased heating surface area of underfloor heating systems compared to radiators on the other. When connecting to a local heating network, the low return temperatures of underfloor heating systems have a favorable effect.

As the market for underfloor heating in existing buildings grows, so does the variety of available systems. This is because, unlike in new builds, the requirements for underfloor heating systems in modernization projects are diverse. In new buildings, for example, insulation requirements, screed thicknesses and sound insulation requirements are specified in standards. This often leads to the question: What is the best, quickest and most cost-effective way to install the heating pipes? There are stapler, stud, or Velcro systems to choose from. In modernization projects, other criteria are more important. For example, the available installation height and the required heat output are key. However, the weight per unit area also plays an important role. Steps within a storey may also have to be taken into account. There is also the question of whether the old screed should or must be removed, or whether the underfloor heating can be installed on the existing screed. Of course, sound insulation and thermal insulation also play a role. Uponor's range of solutions is correspondingly diverse. The individual systems address the different challenges.

Referent Segment Commercial Marketing DACH, Uponor GmbH, Hassfurt

Author: Sven Petersen

Sven Petersen has been working as a consultant for Uponor for more than 24 years. He specialises in panel heating and cooling systems in new buildings and renovations. He is also an expert in special applications in the field of panel heating systems. His speciality in these areas is control technology. His repertoire also includes presentations on the Uponor drinking water concept and local heating supply.

Radiant heating renovation systems from Uponor

Dry installation – Uponor Siccus Mini

Height of only 15 mm with parquet

Using the PE-XA 9.9x1.1 mm pipe and a particularly hard XPS 400 radiant
Optimum heat distribution by the laminated aluminum foil
Circuit length is limited to 70 m

Ways of installation based on the top floor covering

Floating parquet - Uponor Siccus Mini installed on the existing screed - system height is only 15 mm
Tiles - additional 6 mm thick tile carrier is required–the system height is therefore 21 mm
Carpet - Siccus Mini can be laid on a level bare concrete or wooden floor using a drywall board system height is then 33 mm

Benefits

For modernization projects
Easy to install
Low height dependant on floor covering

Uponor Siccus Mini

Dry installation - Uponor Siccus

Quick and easy to install

System is laid on the existing unfinished floor
Pipes are installed in heat conducting lamellas, which are inserted into a profiled PS radiant
Drywall boards with a minimum thickness of 18 mm (Knauf Brio 18) are used as a load distribution layer
Installation on existing wooden beam ceilings

Benefits:

Low surface load
Rapid construction progress

Downside:

Little scope in terms of sound insulation
System must be operated with slightly higher flow temperatures, due to the lower conductivity of the drywall boards

Uponor Siccus

Wet installation – Uponor Minitec

Fast installation and utilization

On-site insulation, directly on an existing screed or top floor covering
Consists of a 12 mm high dimpled foil into which a PE-Xa pipe measuring 9.9x1.1 is inserted
Maximum heating circuit length of around 70 m

Benefits:

Low installation height
Installed on the unfinished floor, Minitec achieves an installation height of only 49 mm on a shear layer in combination with Knauf mineral wool insulation TP-GP 12-1 and Knauf Levelling compound N440
Impact sound improvement value of 28 dB
Installed on existing screed, Minitec with Knauf N430 leveling compound and vinyl design flooring requires an installation height of 18 mm

Uponor Minitec

Wet installation - Uponor Klett Twinboard

Quiet and easy to install

Laid on the existing unfinished floor
3 mm thick double-webbed radiant on which PE-Xa or metal composite pipes measuring 14 or 16 mm are laid using the Klett principle

Benefits

Underlying impact sound insulation comparable to new buildings
Heating circuit lengths similar to those for new-build systems

Downside

Longer screed drying times
Longer functional heating

Uponor Klett

Dry wall installation - Uponor Renovis

Rooms can be quickly renovated while in use

Drywall installation method
15 mm thick plasterboard radiant into which the corresponding pipes are already integrated at the factory
elements can be mounted on the ceiling, pitched roof or wall using a substructure made of standard CD profiles 60/27

Benefits

Partial Renovation
Energy efficient
no need for costly demolition work

Uponor Renovis

A question of setting: control and hydronic balancing

The control system is an important component of a heating system. It ensures comfort and has a major influence on the efficiency of the system–in short, it ensures the intelligence of the system. The system is optimally adjusted when it is hydraulically balanced. In residential buildings with existing oil and gas boilers, the distribution systems generally have a maximum flow temperature of 55°C to 90°C. However, for a conventional heat pump to work efficiently, the flow temperatures must be lowered to a certain low temperature threshold ⁷. In order to reduce radiator temperatures, one or a combination of the following measures must be taken in many buildings: Improving the thermal insulation of the building envelope, retrofitting radiators or individual units with larger radiators and carrying out hydronic balancing of the heating system to ensure optimum heat distribution between the heating components.

⁷ The specific low temperature threshold varies depending on the climate region. According to one study, it is estimated that the maximum flow temperature in Germany should not exceed 55 °C.

Autobalancing technology and analysis features

With conventional hydronic balancing, experts calculate the heating load of each room–for the design case–and design the heating surface and mass flow accordingly. They determine the pipe pressure loss and the balancing pressure loss and thus obtain the fixed setting values for the heating system. Because there are usually deviations between the theoretical assumptions and actual practice, the calculated set values do not correspond exactly to the real heating conditions. As a result, the control system does not deliver the optimum water volumes required for a room. This applies in particular to modernization projects, where often not all the data for an exact calculation of the heating load is available.

This can be avoided with autobalancing.

It is based exclusively on the actual heating conditions: The measured room temperature is the decisive factor. Controls with an autobalancing function calculate the timing of the actuators on this basis (pulse width modulation method). This allows the control system to react cyclically to changes and permanently ensure the desired room temperature. This guarantees long-term comfort and efficient operation of the system.

Uponor control systems to replace an existing control system

Uponor Smatrix Wave Pulse - wireless

No cables are needed
At home or away with Uponor Smatrix Pulse App or voice assistant
Interactive installation wizard in the App
Adapting to your daily routine
Rely on security settings and full data control
Autobalancing technology and analysis features

More info on wireless controls

Uponor Base 230 V - wired

Base controller X-60 - for heating only (supports up to six room sensors and up to 2x6 actuators)
Base controller X-80 - for heating and cooling (supports up to ten room sensors and up to 12 actuators)
Compatible with 230V room sensors also from other manufacturers
Only three-core cable required to connect the room thermostats
Autobalancing technology

More info on wired controls

Autobalancing EU Energy Performance of buildings directive Underfloor heating Wall heating

Uponor Siccus Mini

The Uponor Siccus Mini underfloor radiant heating system from GF Building Flow Solutions is dry installation solution, that features a very low construction-height, and a fast installation time.

Uponor Combi Port and Aqua Port for decentralized hot water supply

100 % drinking water quality, 40 % energy savings and 30 % faster installation: Uponor Combi Port and Aqua Port heat interface units for decentralized hot water supply and–depending on the model–for heating and cooling.

Hygienic hot water supply

Comparison of decentralized and centralized concepts
Decentralized systems offer clear advantages for drinking water hygiene and energy consumption
With decentralized systems, project participants benefit from lower investment costs, planning reliability and shorter installation times

Uponor produces world’s first circular PEX pipe based on 100% chemically recycled raw material

Uponor, Wastewise, Neste and Borealis have successfully produced pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) which was based on feedstock gained from chemically recycled post-industrial waste plastic from PEX pipe production, using an ISCC PLUS certified mass-balancing approach. The partner companies believe this project is among the first implementations of chemical recycling of PEX.

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Uponor Solutions for modernization projects

Climate protection targets and the associated new legislation are also bringing energy-efficient radiant heating systems into focus in modernization projects.

Changes to the EU directive on the energy performance of buildings