Heat Pump vs Radiant Heat

QUESTION:

I'm building a new home and considering installing either electric radiant heat panels or a heat pump. Which would you recommend?

ANSWER:

An electric radiant heating system is a great way to achieve draft-free winter comfort. No blowing air means you can get by with a lower thermostat setting than you would with a forced-air heating system. That, and the radiant system's zonability—which lets you set different rooms at different temperatures—makes it less expensive to operate than a gas furnace and, even, in some cases, a little less than a heat pump.

However, assuming you also want central air conditioning in your new home, the cost of installing whole-house radiant heat and a ducted cooling system will be much greater than that of an all-electric heat pump.

In certain situations, installing radiant panels can be appropriate—especially as a supplement to a central heating system—in:
1. a remote or add-on room to which you have trouble getting heat; or
2. your most-used room(s), enabling you to turn down your central system's thermostat.