Visiting an RT 2012 house with a Ceilingo radiant ceiling

New build changes the rules

The RT 2012 regulation set a consumption ceiling for new buildings, and RE 2020 succeeded it, adding carbon and summer comfort. In both cases, the heating demand of a compliant home is far below that of an older house.

What a low demand implies

The output to install becomes modest, and the criterion shifts to the quality of the comfort obtained. An emitter designed for high outputs becomes oversized, with short cycles and perceptible variations.

Where radiation fits

A large surface at low temperature suits that profile exactly. It delivers little output continuously and evenly, which matches the thermal behaviour of a well insulated building.

What the regulation does not say

It sets calculated consumptions, not perceived comfort. Two equally compliant homes can produce very different sensations depending on how the heat is distributed in the room.

The site visit, which settles it

A thermometer at floor level and another at head height, in an occupied room, say in two minutes what no regulatory calculation describes. That is the measurement that genuinely interests the occupant.

Summer comfort, added since

The current regulation also assesses summer discomfort. A highly insulated new home can overheat, and treating the roof and the glazing becomes a subject as important as the heating itself. That is the point which surprises owners of recent houses most, used as they are to thinking of insulation as a winter subject.

Evenness is developed on the dedicated page, and summer comfort on the summer comfort page.