Radiant cooling refers to a temperature-controlled surface that cools the indoor room environment by removing sensible heat. Radiant cooling is most effective at removing direct solar heat gain, followed by sensible heat gain.

The slab cooling / heating system utilises the concrete’s thermal mass by embedding pipes carrying water for heating and cooling in the building’s structure. This way, ceilings, floors or walls contribute primarily to the sensible cooling, and secondarily to the base heating of the building. The embedded pipes activate the concrete core in the building mass for storage and discharge of thermal loads. Concrete structures typically used with radiant cooling systems also increase the thermal mass of buildings. This introduces inertia in the structure against temperature fluctuations and allows it to absorb heat from internal spaces.

Radiant cooling systems consist of coils embedded within the structure. These coils carry chilled water generated either through conventional electric chiller systems or low energy chilled water generation systems like absorbent chillers, desiccant chillers. Chilled water in the coils cools down the slab or panels which in turn act as heat sinks for sensible heat loads of internal spaces.