The Radiant Store (under Zeroth Holdings), which specializes in zero-emission HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and renewable energy, installs radiant heating systems, all-weather heat pumps, solar-thermal hot water systems, high-efficiency panel radiators and LED lighting in homes, farms and other businesses. The company also offers energy audits.
"Everything we do is focused on energy efficiency and sustainability," says Terry Moag, company president and CEO who founded The Radiant Store in 2005. "Our mission is decarbonization."
Solar-Thermal Systems
Among its diverse offerings, the company specializes in the installation of solar-thermal systems. Solar-thermal panels produce heat from the infrared light spectrum to provide hot water and a heating source to help offset energy costs.
The agriculture industry is a main market for solar-thermal installations. Dairy and other farms use solar-thermal power for milking machines and chillers and for warm-water use in greenhouses in winter.
The Radiant Store recently installed a first-of-its kind artificial-intelligence-assisted solar- thermal system using a concentrated solar technology patented by Texas-based Skyven Technologies. The system incorporates specialized mirrors and computer technology to produce heat for a robotic dairy farm.
"It's a promising technology, and we are proud to be an integral part of bringing this system to market," Moag says.
Hydronic Radiant Heating
The Radiant Store also offers hydronic radiant heating. In these systems, tubes that carry hot water are embedded in floors and walls, with the warmth concentrating comfortably and evenly within a space. Radiant heating is more energy efficient than baseboard and most forced-air systems.
Moag has harnessed this technology in pioneering ways. His company was the first in the U.S. to incorporate a solar-thermal radiant system to heat an outdoor residential pool.
In a bigger project at The Chatham Berry Farm in Chatham, New York, The Radiant Store placed radiant heating lines throughout several greenhouse beds to extend the length of the growing season. The project also featured a large scale, custom-built underground storage battery, which enabled the farm to meet all its heating needs throughout the year off-grid.
The Radiant Store has installed solar-based radiant heating systems in fire department garages and storage facilities as well. "Many people are familiar with radiant flooring as an extra amenity, but a well-built radiant system can heat an entire building," Moag says.
The company also installs low-ambient heat pumps for both heating and cooling. The pumps, which perform in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, can be used a sole heating source or integrated with existing heating units to increase efficiency and offset energy costs.
Advancing the Renewable Energy Market
The Radiant Store, which has been at the Rensselaer Technology Park since 2012, is one of two business entities under Zeroth Holdings. The second is Zeroth LLC, a distributor founded in 2018 that partners with companies globally to help them tap into the U.S. renewables market.
"We have a reputation for integrating new technologies and developing markets for innovative products," Moag says. "Zeroth is in step with the shift to a cleaner energy infrastructure, as we are proving we can heat and cool homes without fossil fuels."
Partners include Magic Box International, a UK-based manufacturer of a solar-assisted heat pump (SAHP), which is used to produce hot water and has been integrated into geothermal and other heating systems. Zeroth is now the primary distributor of the technology.
A SAHP was installed by The Radiant Store as part of an integrated heating unit in a greenhouse at Churchtown Dairy, a regenerative agricultural farm in Columbia County, New York.
Growth and Success at the Rensselaer Technology Park
Moag, who employs about a dozen technicians, says that the Technology Park has contributed significantly to his business growth and success.
"The Technology Park is set up for efficiency, from the type of docks we use to distribute our products to the amount of space we have to work in and store our equipment," he says.
In addition, Technology Park Director Karl Lampson and his staff have assisted Moag in making connections with the Small Business Association and the Troy Industrial Development Agency to help elevate his business.
Also enhancing his company's success is the collaborative atmosphere of the Technology Park, where The Radiant Store shares space and collaborates on projects with Seed Solar and Engineering, a photovoltaic engineering firm.
"The Technology Park supports our work," Moag says, "and we’re glad to be here."