Energy-efficient comfort underfloor heating

The main purpose of comfort underfloor heating is to keep floors, especially tiled floors, comfortable to walk on and not feel cold. It also provides a drying effect and is used to complement other primary heat sources.

Cableflex 6 i badrum för komfortgolvvärme

How can we combine comfort and energy requirements?

Customers want the great comfort of underfloor heating. However, as energy demands increase, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get comfort underfloor heating to fit within the framework of the permitted energy use in new construction.

Ebeco has participated in independent studies in collaboration with some of Sweden's largest players, such as Skanska, HSB and Peab with funding from SBUF, the Swedish Construction Industry's Development Fund, in order to develop guidelines for comfort underfloor heating.

We have made our recommendations based on the results of these independent studies. Read more here:

In this guide, we go through what Ebeco recommends when it comes to comfort underfloor heating.

City 1-4, kWh/average apartment, year

Lowest consumption in SBUF's study

In the study, newly built apartment buildings were selected in four cities where different solutions and brands of underfloor heating and thermostat were installed. In one of these, Ebeco's thermostat, EB-Therm 500, was used together with our other recommendations, see below. The results showed that it was this particular solution (bar 4) that had the lowest energy consumption over one year of use, only 33% compared to the solution that consumed the most. In these apartments, underfloor heating with lower output was installed; temperature limitation was applied for the control; the thermostat used was easy to understand and user-friendly, clearly showing both the desired and measured temperature for example.

The differences from the apartment building that had the highest energy consumption (bar 1), which incidentally corresponds to BBR's standard figure of 1000 kWh per apartment and year, are noticeable in that the underfloor heating was installed with a higher output and the apartment owner could adjust the temperature without limitation.

Recommendations for comfort underfloor heating

To create the most efficient heating possible, we recommend the following:

Limit the heated area. Do not install in peripheral areas, under washing machines or similar, but only in occupied zones.
Limit the output. With an installed output of 60 W/m², a heated temperature of a maximum of 26°C is provided on the floor surface.
Include maximum limit, (hardware locked). By limiting the thermostat setting to 25°C, in the floor, the expectation of higher temperatures is counteracted.
Use a clear digital thermostat. With a user-friendly thermostat that is Ecodesign compatible, which shows actual and set-points, consumption and weekly program.

Reduced energy consumption

According to Miljöbyggnad version 4.0, the following is stated for housing:

”For electric underfloor heating in wet rooms, a standard surcharge of 5 kWh/m² Atemp/year is accepted at the verification stage if measured values are missing.”

According to the study, the average consumption, with Ebeco's recommendations for comfort underfloor heating and well-designed and adjusted primary ventilation and heating systems, is about 125 kWh per m² of installed floor area and year.

For example, an apartment with 100 m² Atemp should strive to have comfort underfloor heating installed on a maximum floor area of 4 m² in order to be expected to consume 500 kWh/year.

wM-Bus i sprängskiss med termostaten EB-Therm 500

Energy monitoring

The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's building regulations are clear regarding energy consumption in the new construction of apartment buildings and premises: 20% of installed comfort underfloor heating shall be measured. Furthermore, Sveby recommends that 100% of the installations should be measured for follow-up and verification.

With the help of EB-Connect wM-Bus , measurement is done in a cost-effective and easily accessible way. The collected documentation of addresses is made available through our free service, Garantera.