Infra-red Heating Keeps Children Warm at Zone de l’Hippo in Quimper, France

Zone de l’Hippo is a huge indoor kids play centre in Quimper, France.

The large open and high structure means that it is difficult to keep the children warm that are playing within the building.

The Problem

The centre comprises a large barn type area which is very high and poorly insulated.  Traditional hot air heating solutions are inadequate at heating premises like these due to the large thermal losses associated with the building structure.

The Solution

By installing a series of 1.5kW Linquartz infra-red heaters, specified and supplied by Leisure Heating Ltd, the play centre now has an energy efficient heating system which heats the children directly as they are playing rather than having to heat up the whole play area.

The Benefits

The use of energy efficient Infra-red heating has allowed the play barn to increase the overall effect of heating while keeping energy costs to a minimum.  The new infra-red heating system does not need to be switched on many hours before the children and parents arrive.  The instant heat up times of short-wave infra-red heating means that the system can be switched on just a few minutes before the doors open for business.

Electric Infra-red Heating

Infra-red heating is based on the transfer of thermal energy by electromagnetic radiation.  Infra-red emitters are classified according to the temperature dependent peak wavelength which they emit and can be short-wave, medium-wave and long-wave.

Short-wave infra-red heaters have the ability to heat people directly without having to heat up the air first.  They are compact, energy efficient and easily installed. 

The element used has a thermal response similar to an electric light bulb so is instant.  Infra-red heaters can be easily used with PIR movement detectors or with power controllers.

All pictures copyright Leisure Heating Ltd 2008