"The history of the radiant market dates back to Egypt in 3,000 BC, when Ra was the God of Sun,” says Max Rohr, academy manager with REHAU’s building solutions division. “Arguably, that was the earliest documentation of the importance of radiant heat transfer. It wasn’t until the 1980s that we were able to recreate that warm sensation of being in the sunlight with boilers and PEX pipe inside a house.”

The radiant market in North America in particular had its birth decades ago with the introduction of residential heating systems that utilized brass and copper piping embedded in floors, walls and ceilings, notes Devin A. Abellon, PE, business development manager – engineering services, Uponor North America. By circulating warm water through the network of tubing, they were able to create and maintain warm and inviting indoor environments.