There are countless articles and descriptions on the Internet about infrared heaters, some of which are incomplete,
incorrect or contradictory. In order to increase transparency and to make it easier for the user to recognize
quality products such as the photon heating, we can provide our expertise and assist with the selection
and choice of the appropriate product.

The range of the radiant heat indicates in which heat wave range the infrared heater is operating. The optimum heat wave range for humans is located in the long-wave infrared radiation range, where a continuously pleasant feeling of warmth is generated (based on DIN 7730).
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Conventional infrared heaters operate predominantly in the short-wave range, which is especially noticeable when approaching the heating element at a short distance. The infrared heaters, which are mainly active in the short heat wave range, radiate warmth or even heat which could be unpleasant for some people at a short distance of e.g. 50 cm (like mushroom heaters), while at a distance of about 2 meters almost no sensation of warmth will be perceived. Hence the emitted radiation energy is usually insufficient for room heating, especially if the room size is beyond 4 meters. This is mainly due to older types of construction.
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Depending on the size of the room, short-wave infrared heaters require a higher number of heating elements in order to heat the premises beyond 2-3 meters to comply with the German Civil Code (BGB) guidelines, especially in cold winter seasons. In order to prevent subsequent purchases, it is advisable to ask the manufacturer about the heat wave range of the offered infrared heater.

Every heating system, whether conventional or infrared-based, produces radiant and convective heat. In conventional radiators (oil, gas, heat pump), the convection rate is usually over 70%, the proportion of radiation is thus less than 30%. The radiation component is decisive for the efficacy of the infrared radiation effect and can physically amount to a maximum of 60% at a surface temperature between 50° C and 100° C, according to Planck‘s radiation law . It should be noted that a very high radiation component is not necessarily efficient. The optimum radiation component of infrared heaters is about 50% (which corresponds to a convection ratio of 50%). Higher radiation components require a significantly higher surface temperature with a higher power input and thus higher energy consumption, i.e. power consumption.

Contrary to some opinions, a high surface temperature is neither a sign of efficiency nor a testament to quality, especially if it is above 90° C. As already mentioned, the efficiency of an infrared heater depends on the emitted infrared radiation range as well as the radiation component for a given radiation surface. If heating elements do not act in the optimum long-wave infrared range and / or do not have the ideal radiation component, this is usually compensated by an increased heating element surface temperature. This leads above all to an increased energy input and reduced efficiency. In these cases, the rear panel of the heating elements are usually insulated, as they tend to trap the heat generated by the hotter front surfaces. Parts of the radiation heat thus generated are lost because they can not be emitted to the room. In addition, the heating element becomes larger and heavier.

In addition, the efficiency of infrared heaters can be increased, if the heat radiation emitted to the room is not only passive via the surface heating, but also allows heat radiation to enter the room directly (through the surface material).

Energy costs can be additionally reduced if the heating element continues to emit radiant heat for a certain period of time after having been switched off. In today‘s modern control units this so-called „reheating“ is taken into account in the heating phase hence the element is terminating prematurely and switched off automatically (hysteresis). Nevertheless, the desired temperature is achieved by the overrun time of the deactivated element.

The heat requirement (wattage of the heating element) depends on the construction and size of the building (room), the insulation, the windows and the sun orientation. In general, the so-called U-value (measure of thermal transmittance) of a building is used as the basis of the heat requirement calculation. Based on this calculation, the wattage and number of required heating elements should be determined. Unless a heat requirement calculation is not undertaken and thus the actual required power is not defined, it may lead to an insufficient number of heating elements and amount of power used to achieve the desired indoor temperature, especially at low outdoor temperatures.

Since various suppliers have different calculation methods, it often happens that the calculated wattage and number of heating elements is insufficient, causing much retrofitting later. What was initially believed to be a cheap purchase, quickly turns into a costly matter, also in terms of increased operating time. To prevent this from happening, prior to the purchase, the consumer should understand the method used for the heat requirement calculation. Above all, it is important that official guidelines are met.

Therefore, the calculation should be based on a temperature difference of 30° C between the desired indoor temperature (averaging 20° C) and an outdoor temperature of -10° C with a daily operating time of 7 hours. If the calculation made is based on a smaller temperature difference, e.g. with a higher outside temperature of 0° C, the calculated wattage of the heating element is insufficient, especially in cold winters. In this case, the desired room temperature is either not achieved or is reached at the expense of a longer daily operating time (of up to 24 hours) which leads to greatly increased energy consumption.

How efficient an infrared heater really is depends not only on the required wattage, but above all, on its radiation component and its range of radiation, as well as its energy consumption. Heating elements from various manufacturers with the same wattage and surface material, based on similar heat requirement calculations, may nevertheless differ widely on energy consumption as explained on the previous pages.

The calculated annual energy consumption is based on the average heating period used, the daily operating time, and the given outdoor temperature (see heat requirement calculation). A heating period is the number of heating days required for a specific building. In order to enable a comparison for the user, the following information with regard to the supplier’s consumption calculation should be obtained:

The average annual consumption per m² of an infrared heating system can be determined by the user according to the formula below:

If the result is multiplied by the room size (in m²), the outcome will be the annual consumption of the room. Based on this formula, the user can easily compare energy consumption and estimate the efficiency of the corresponding infrared heating system by himself.

Particular care must also be taken to ensure that the stated consumption provided by the supplier is the maximum energy consumption of the infrared heating system. To be on the safe side, a guarantee should be given.

Decisive for a functioning quality product is its long lifetime without any loss of functionality. Materials, mostly sourced from abroad, which are also used for manufacturing, often lead to short lifetimes and rapid loss of functionality.

When selecting the appropriate infrared heater, care should be taken as to whether it is a heating element that has low electromagnetic fields or is even free of electrosmog according to EMC.

The requirement for the use of infrared heaters in new buildings and / or passive houses is the fulfillment of the stricter EnEV-2009 German Energy Saving Regulations (§10a) for electrically operated heaters.

Since every property and customer demand differs individually, many design possibilities as well as different applications and usage sites are paramount. Whether standardized or customized, simple or design-oriented, used privately or commercially, a variety of customer needs should be met.

In the event that users wish to use an infrared heater as an additional heating element in conjunction with an existing heating systems (such as oil, gas, heat pump) in the same room, this should not be done without the advice from the supplier. The reason for this is the high probability that the infrared heater, instead of being supportive, will become the primary heat source. This is because the main heating system, e.g. an underfloor heating will not start anymore due to the generated warmth by the infrared heater causing unnecessarily increasing energy consumption.