Electric radiant ceiling panels where hot water is not available
Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels are electric radiant panels for suspended ceilings and open soffits, used wherever hot water heating is not available. A silicone rubber heating pad is bonded to the upper side of a rigid aluminium sandwich panel and insulated, so the heat is released downwards into the room. Each panel needs only a single-phase 230 V supply, in two sizes: 600 x 600 mm (250 W) and 1200 x 600 mm (500 W).
Manufactured in Leicester by S & P Coil Products Limited, Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels heat offices, classrooms, meeting rooms, extensions, temporary buildings and other commercial and public spaces, including rooms a long way from the main heating system. They use the same aluminium panel as SPC’s hot water Thermatile TEN and Thermatile TWELVE Radiant Panels, with a smooth white underside.
No pipework
Each panel needs only a single-phase 230 V supply
Ceiling options
Drops into a 600 mm ceiling grid or hangs free from the soffit
Zone control
Control kits with a black bulb sensor for radiant comfort
Made in Leicester
Manufactured and supported by SPC in the UK
250 or 500 W
Output per panel: 250 W for 600 x 600 mm and 500 W for 1200 x 600 mm, with other outputs to special order
230 V supply
Single phase, 1.1 A or 2.2 A per panel, wired to a sealed terminal box on each panel: no pipework or water connections
600 mm grid
Ceiling grid panels drop into standard 600 mm T-bar ceilings; free-hanging panels have an aluminium edge frame
Zone control
One SPC control kit runs up to 12 panels in a zone, switched together through a relay box
What are electric radiant panels?
Electric radiant panels heat a room mainly by radiation from the panel’s underside to the people and surfaces below, rather than by warming the air first. In Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels, a silicone rubber heating pad covers the whole upper face of a rigid aluminium sandwich panel, and the upper surface is insulated so the heat is emitted downwards.
Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels run hotter than hot water panels: the surface can reach 100°C, so panels should be mounted at least 2.3 m above the floor and must not be touched while switched on. Panel outputs are set so that surface temperatures are not excessive.
Hot water Thermatile panels in a T-bar ceiling at Crown Hills Community College, Leicester. Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels use the same white aluminium panel.
What sizes do Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels come in?
Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels come in a nominal width of 600 mm and nominal lengths of 600 and 1200 mm. Ceiling grid panels are slightly smaller than nominal so they drop between the T bars; free-hanging panels are slightly larger because of their edge frame. Different outputs are available to special order.
| Nominal size (mm) | Heat output (W) | Current (A) |
|---|---|---|
| 600 x 600 | 250 | 1.1 |
| 1200 x 600 | 500 | 2.2 |
New to electric radiant heating? Read our guides: Introducing SPC Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels: A Versatile Heating Solution and Explore SPC’s Range of Electric HVAC Products. You can also see the full range of SPC radiant heating and cooling panels.
How much heat does an electric radiant panel give?
A 600 x 600 mm Thermatile Electric Radiant Panel gives 250 W and a 1200 x 600 mm panel gives 500 W.
- Outputs are chosen so that panel surface temperatures are not excessive
- Insulation on the upper surface sends the heat down into the room
- Different outputs are available to special order
When should you choose electric radiant panels?
Choose Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels wherever hot water heating is not available or practical.
- Rooms and extensions a long way from the boiler or heat pump
- Refurbishments where new pipework would be disruptive
- Temporary buildings and smaller spaces such as meeting rooms and stores
For buildings with a hot water system, see Thermatile TEN and Thermatile TWELVE.
How are electric radiant panels controlled?
Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels are best controlled in zones, with every panel in a zone switched on or off together.
- A single panel can be controlled by a switch or thermostat
- SPC control kits run up to 12 panels per zone
- A black bulb sensor responds to the air and surface temperatures in the room, a better gauge of radiant comfort than air temperature alone
Full Thermatile Electric Radiant Panel data and the control kit details are in the leaflet and data sheet.
Thermatile Electric installation options, controls and accessories
Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels are made in two versions: one to drop into a suspended ceiling grid and one to hang free from the soffit.
Ceiling grid
Drops into a 600 mm T-bar grid with no edge frame. Hanging brackets on the upper surface are fixed to the soffit with wire hangers for safety.
Free hanging
An extruded aluminium frame covers the edges and is drilled for wire hanging, with the insulation hidden behind it.
- Mounting height: at least 2.3 m above the floor, as panel surfaces can reach 100°C; higher mounting is beneficial
- Electrical connection: each panel has an electrical bracket with a sealed terminal box, needing a single-phase 230 V supply with an earth, wired by a competent installer to the current IET Wiring Regulations
- Hangers: wires or rods must hang vertically from anchors directly above the brackets
Each SPC control kit for Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels switches a zone of panels on and off through a relay box. A master control kit includes:
- A relay box that switches the panels in the zone
- A digital thermostat (setting range 5 to 37°C), or a programmable thermostat as an option
- An SPC black bulb sensor, which measures the effective temperature in the space
One kit controls up to 12 panels in a zone. Slave kits add a relay box for further panels, and standalone panel kits are also available. The thermostat can be fitted out of reach; only the black bulb sensor needs to be in the room. See the control kit data sheet in the downloads.
Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels can be supplied with the hanging kits and controls needed for installation.
- Wire suspension kits: wire rope hangers with simple height adjustment and no specialist tools, delivered in kits of 10
- Rod hanging: adaptor brackets so ceiling grid panels can hang from threaded rod instead of wire
- Control kits: master, slave and standalone panel kits (see the Controls tab)
- Finish: smooth white underside as standard
Project support from SPC: from survey to commissioning
SPC manufactures and supplies Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels for installation by your chosen mechanical and electrical contractor, and supports the project at every stage. Our Radiant CPD is CIBSE approved and can be booked for your practice.
Site surveys
SPC's technical sales team can visit site to review panel positions and ceiling type before order.
Selection and zoning
Send us your drawings and SPC will suggest panel sizes, numbers and control zones for each space.
Radiant CPD
Our CIBSE approved CPD, Radiant Heating & Cooling Panels: Fundamentals and Design Guide, can be delivered to your practice.
Area Sales Managers
Your local SPC Area Sales Manager is on hand for questions, site visits and installation queries.
Specifying Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels
Free help to select panels and plan the installation.
Get a panel selection
Send us your room sizes and heat losses, and we will select the Thermatile Electric panel sizes, numbers and control kits for each space.
Technical drawings and IOM
Panel dimensions, bracket positions and wiring diagrams for the control kits are in IOM 94 and the control kit data sheet.
SPC radiant panels in UK projects
SPC radiant panels are installed in buildings across the UK, including schools, colleges, libraries, museums, hotels, restaurants and workshops. These projects use SPC’s hot water Thermatile radiant panels, built on the same aluminium panel as Thermatile Electric. See SPC’s radiant panel projects.
Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels specification summary
| Detail | Spec |
|---|---|
| Nominal sizes | 600 x 600 mm and 1200 x 600 mm |
| Heat output | 250 W (600 x 600 mm), 500 W (1200 x 600 mm); different outputs to special order |
| Electrical supply | Single-phase 230 V with earth, to a sealed terminal box on each panel |
| Current | 1.1 A (600 x 600 mm), 2.2 A (1200 x 600 mm) |
| Construction | Rigid aluminium sandwich panel, as used for Thermatile TEN-TWELVE, with a silicone rubber heating pad bonded to the upper surface and insulated above |
| Finish | Smooth white underside |
| Mounting | Ceiling grid (600 mm T-bar, hanging brackets on the upper surface) or free hanging (extruded aluminium edge frame) |
| Minimum mounting height | 2.3 m above the floor |
| Surface temperature | Can reach 100°C: do not touch panels while switched on |
| Controls | Switch or thermostat per panel, or SPC control kit per zone: relay box, digital thermostat (programmable option) and black bulb sensor; up to 12 panels per kit |
| Accessories | Wire suspension kits, rod hanging adaptor brackets, master, slave and standalone panel control kits |
| Cooling | Heating only |
| Maintenance | Clean the underside with a dry cloth or dilute cleaning agent once the panel is off and cool |
| Manufactured | Leicester, UK, by S & P Coil Products Limited (ISO 9001:2015) |
Discuss your electric radiant panel project
Whether you are heating an office, classroom, meeting room, extension or another commercial or public space, send us your drawings for a Thermatile Electric selection, request a site survey or book the Radiant CPD. Call +44 (0)116 249 0044, email spc@spc-hvac.co.uk or use the form below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Electric radiant panels are used wherever hot water heating is not available or practical: extensions and rooms a long way from the boiler or heat pump, refurbishments where new pipework would be disruptive, temporary buildings, and smaller spaces such as meeting rooms and stores. Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels suit offices, schools, colleges and other commercial and public buildings with a suspended ceiling or an open soffit.
Each panel needs a single-phase 230 V supply with an earth connection. A 600 x 600 mm panel draws 1.1 A and a 1200 x 600 mm panel draws 2.2 A. Each panel has an electrical bracket with a sealed terminal box, and all wiring must be carried out by a competent and qualified installer to the current edition of the IET Wiring Regulations.
One SPC control kit, with its relay box, thermostat and black bulb sensor, controls up to 12 panels in a zone. Larger areas are split into zones, each with its own relay box. A single panel can also be controlled on its own by a switch or thermostat.
Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels should be mounted at least 2.3 m above the floor, to leave space between head height and the panels, and greater heights are beneficial. Electric panels run at higher surface temperatures than hot water panels, reaching up to 100°C, so they must not be touched while switched on.
Yes. Ceiling grid versions of Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels drop into a standard 600 mm T-bar grid in place of ceiling tiles. Although they rest in the grid, they must be fixed to the soffit with vertical wire or rod hangers for safety, and each panel needs a 230 V supply.
Electric radiant panels and infrared panels both heat mainly by radiation from a warm surface to the people and surfaces in a room. Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels are built for commercial ceilings: they drop into a 600 mm T-bar grid or hang free, and are controlled in zones by a black bulb sensor that responds to radiant comfort.
No. Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels are for heating only. For heating and cooling from the same ceiling, free-hanging Thermatile TEN and Thermatile TWELVE Radiant Panels, supplied without insulation, can be used with chilled water as well as hot water. Read more: Can Radiant Panels Be Used for Cooling as Well as Heating?
Thermatile Electric Radiant Panels have no water or moving parts. The underside can be cleaned with a dry cloth or a dilute cleaning agent once the panel is switched off and has cooled; no liquid should be used on the insulated upper surface.
