Infrared Heating: The Key to Affordable Construction and Housing

The fourth conference of IG Infrarot Deutschland e.V. clearly demonstrated that infrared heating systems are gaining increasing recognition among policy makers, industry associations and the housing sector.
Under the title “Infrared Heating: The Key to Affordable Construction and Housing,” representatives from the housing industry, the infrared heating industry, planning, and trades like photovoltaic gathered in Würzburg on April 16 to discuss solutions for accelerating the construction of affordable housing. The consensus: Planning certainty and simpler, more robust technology are needed to reduce the sharply rising costs of technical building equipment. Infrared heating technology is a relevant option here – in both new construction and renovation, as a standalone solution or in a hybrid system.
Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of technological openness. Ina Scharrenbach, the Minister of Construction for North Rhine-Westphalia, said in her online opening remarks: “The greatest CO2 reductions can be achieved in the existing building stock. There are many factors to consider here: from building physics and the age of the building to the materials used. The owner must be free to choose which technical building systems they wish to install. Infrared heating technology is certainly a relevant option here.”
There was also strong support from industry associations and practitioners for simple, cost-effective solutions.
For example, René Ebert, Director of Technology & Projects at VdZ Wirtschaftsvereinigung Gebäude und Energie e.V., said during the panel discussion: “If we want to build faster and more cost-effectively, we need to discuss not only material and financing costs, but also complexity, interfaces, and feasibility. This leads to the realization that the scarcest resource is often not the material, but qualified time. That is why, above all, we need building technology that is easier to plan, faster to install, and manageable in operation.”
The presented projects from new construction and renovation, including comparative calculations for water-based heating systems and infrared heating systems, impressively demonstrated the cost-effectiveness. Infrared heating systems score points for, among other things, reduced investment costs, quick installation and versatile applications. The ideal solution is to combine them with photovoltaics and battery storage to supply buildings with solar power as much as possible.