Been to Finland and visited some offices, public buildings or schools? Have you noticed the panel ceilings? These are quite often delivered by Itula Oy, a Finnish company that has delivered radiant heating and cooling panels for almost three decades.
“This kind of solutions are very common in Finland and also much appreciated in the rest of Europe, but we now want to make other markets really understand the benefits”, director of export sales Mr. Hannu Janhunen explains. “They are very advantageous when it comes to energy use both in winter and in summer.”
Actually, Itula states that it is possible to save up to 30% of energy used for either heating or cooling in building. The product ItuGraf– radiant heating and cooling panels – are ceiling-mounted. They are heated by warm water or cooled by cold water. Low intensity infrared waves distribute the heat surfaces or cool the room. Graphite filling inside the panels ensures efficient thermal conductivity.
An energy saving of up to 30% for heating or cooling in an office, a public building or an industrial building is possible.
The best indoor climate
“In this way you also achieve a nice indoor climate without dust, draft or noise. Evenly distributed temperature in the room without the need of excessive ventilation.”
Hannu emphasizes the overall life-time economy regarding the heating and cooling of a building.
“You need to take all factors into account; from the initial investment, via the actual energy use and its cost to the service and maintenance cost. In our opinion ItuGraf saves money in every stage. We have made many calculations that shows that our panels are very competitive in the long run.”
For larger buildings
The Itugraf panels are suitable for installation in larger buildings; offices, hotels, public buildings and industries and warehouses. In accommodation houses ItuGraf panels are coming just now very popular in Finland. They can be used with all energy sources, including green energy like wood boilers, geothermal and solar energy, that produces hot (or cold) water and it can also be integrated easily with other building services. The panel can be installed into the false ceiling or it can be installed as freely hanging. The system is maintenance-free and suitable for both new and renovation constructions.
Design features
Itula offers different kinds of design alternatives to suit the architecture and indoor design of the building. The lighting can also be integrated.
-The overall feature of ceiling mounted equipment is very appreciated while there is no need for radiators or other equipment that takes up space on the floor or on the walls. This makes it easier to furnish an office or to optimize the use of the floor space for example in industry or in your home.
The panels are manufactured in Ruokolahti, Finland and exported world-wide. The panels are CE-marked, and an EU Declaration of Performance (DoP) is available on request.
About the company
Itula Oy is a Finnish family company specialized in environmentally friendly heating and cooling systems that enhance energy efficiency. Itula is a leading supplier of radiant heating and cooling systems in Finland, active for almost 30 years. More information: www.itula.fi (English version available)
Background: This article is made in the framework of the project Effective Financing Tools for implementing Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EFFECT4buildings). The aim of the article is to share of experiences on energy efficiency solutions. EFFECT4buildings project develop a toolbox with a set of financial instruments for building managers to implement more energy efficiency measures. The project also maps, promote and share experiences among building managers of different technology solutions for energy efficiency in buildings. EFFECT4buildings is implemented with the support from the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Program 2014-2020 (European Regional Development Fund) and Norwegian national funding. For more information: http://www.effect4buildings.se
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Disclaimer: The sole responsibility for the content of this article lies with the authors. It does not represent the views of the European Union.
