[en] Electric radiant heating (ERH) technologies are now being installed in floors as a means of reducing heating costs. The radiant installations have seen a large increase in sales over the last decade, and are now being used in commercial applications. Sales of hydronic ERH systems have increased by 24 per cent over the last year. ERH systems are energy efficient and do not cause drafts. The systems consist of resistant heating cables installed within the floors of a room. The cables are supplied as loose cables and tracks with predetermined spacings or rugged, heavier cable that can be stapled onto wooden subfloors. Program temperature setbacks can be applied on a room-by-room basis. Electric thermal storage systems allow building owners to store heat in the floors and are ideal for use in combination with time-of-use electric metering. Some electric utilities are now promoting the use of electric thermal storage in order to reduce demand during peak times. Thermostats used with the systems should have floor sensors and ambient air sensors to control space heating in conjunction with the floor sensor. It was concluded that electrical contractors who gain knowledge in the application and installation of the systems will tap into a growing revenue stream. 5 figs
Journal
[en] The materials for electric insulation and exterior jackets of the power cables are formulated organic compounds. The environmental service conditions will induce chemical and/or physical processes at molecular level of the material; these processes are the ageing mechanisms. The power cables passing through penetrations lead to an increase of the rate of thermal ageing mechanisms, resulting in irreversible degradation of mechanical and electric properties of the organic compounds and of the functional properties of the cable. The paper presents the results of the laboratory tests when the real environmental service conditions for penetration are simulated, the comparison with the results of the thermal computation of the power cables heating and the evaluation of the influence of temperature increase of the power cable components on the cable lifetime. For the particular case of a power cable with PVC insulation, we estimated a lifetime decrease about seven years as referred to lifetime of about 30 years for operation in air. (authors)
Source
Constantin, Marin; Turcu, Ilie (Institute for Nuclear Research-Pitesti, PO Box 78, 1 Campului Str., RO-115400 Mioveni, Arges (Romania)) (eds.); Institute for Nuclear Research-Pitesti, PO Box 78, 1 Campului Str., RO-115400 Mioveni, Arges (Romania); University of Pitesti, Bd. Republicii, 71, Pitesti (Romania). Funding organisation: National Authority for Scientific Research, Bucharest (Romania); 707 p; ISSN 2066-2955; 
; 2009; p. 417-422; NUCLEAR 2009: 2. international conference on sustainable development through nuclear research and education; Pitesti (Romania); 27-29 May 2009; Available from author(s) or Institute for Nuclear Research-Pitesti, 1 Campului Str., RO-115400 Mioveni, Arges (RO); Available from Institute for Nuclear Research-Pitesti, 1 Campului Str., RO-115400 Mioveni, Arges (RO); University of Pitesti, Bd. Republicii, 71, Pitesti (RO); 5 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.
; 2009; p. 417-422; NUCLEAR 2009: 2. international conference on sustainable development through nuclear research and education; Pitesti (Romania); 27-29 May 2009; Available from author(s) or Institute for Nuclear Research-Pitesti, 1 Campului Str., RO-115400 Mioveni, Arges (RO); Available from Institute for Nuclear Research-Pitesti, 1 Campului Str., RO-115400 Mioveni, Arges (RO); University of Pitesti, Bd. Republicii, 71, Pitesti (RO); 5 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.