The Basics
What Is Infrared Heat?
The physics behind the sunshine principle
Infrared heat is one of the oldest and most natural forms of heat that exists. It is exactly the same type of heat that the sun provides us, electromagnetic radiation that travels through space, strikes a surface, and is converted directly into heat in the material, without needing to heat the air in between. It is clean, healthy, energy-efficient, and the only heating method that actually works outdoors.
Natural Force
Infrared heat is nature's own heating method
Infrared radiation is not an invention. It is a natural force. The sun produces infrared radiation, and these invisible rays are converted into heat when absorbed by objects, after traveling through space and air. When infrared rays strike a surface, heat energy is released, regardless of the ambient temperature. The best way to understand this is to experience the sun’s warmth on a cold winter day. When the sun appears, you immediately feel the warmth, all surfaces around you absorb the heat and radiate it back, and the temperature rises.
Just like the sun’s rays, infrared heaters produce electromagnetic waves that heat the body and objects, not the air. It is radiant heat, direct transfer of heat using invisible electromagnetic energy waves from the heat source to what is being heated. Traditional heaters heat by convection, which means the air acts as an intermediary. This principle leads to energy losses and inefficiency, especially outdoors.
Infrared radiation heats you directly. Not the air. You.
Three Methods
Three ways to heat and why only one works outdoors
Heat always transfers in one of three ways. Conduction is direct contact, when you hold a warm coffee cup, your hand is heated. It requires physical touch and is not an option for space heating. Convection heats the air. The air rises when heated, cools down, and sinks again. This is how a radiator, fan heater, or gas fireplace works. Indoors, it can provide acceptable results. Outdoors, it is almost meaningless, the warm air rises directly upward and away, and the wind replaces it with cold air immediately. You pay for heat that leaves the space.
Radiation is direct energy transfer from a source to a surface, without passing through the air in between. This is exactly how the sun heats the earth, over 150 million kilometers of freezing space, without a single air molecule. Infrared radiation travels, strikes a surface, and is absorbed as heat. It is the only way to heat effectively outdoors, and it is the principle behind all Opranics heaters.
If you would like to learn more about how to choose the right model for your outdoor space, read our buying guide for outdoor infrared heaters.
The Sunshine Principle
Why you are warm in the mountains in sub-zero temperatures
Imagine a clear winter day high in the mountains. The air temperature is minus ten degrees. Yet you are too warm and open your jacket. Why? The sun is shining directly on you. The infrared radiation from the sun is absorbed by the skin and converted into heat inside the body. The air around you is still cold. You are not heating the air. The sun is heating you directly.
This is exactly the principle an Opranic heater operates on. The radiation travels from the element to your body without needing to heat the air in between. From the first second. No waiting. Nothing blows away. This is why infrared heat feels natural and comfortable in a way that conventional heating can never match outdoors, it is literally the same mechanism the sun uses.
The body is 80% water. This determines which wavelength works.
The Spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum: where infrared radiation belongs
Infrared radiation is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, the same family as visible light, radio waves, and X-rays. It lies just below visible red light in the spectrum, hence the name “infra-red” meaning “below red”. What you see when an Opranic heater is on is a faint red glow. What you feel is the heat, the infrared radiation that the body absorbs.
The infrared range is divided into three bands based on wavelength, and they behave very differently. Short-wave infrared (IR-A) operates at extremely high temperatures and emits strong visible light. Medium-wave infrared (IR-B) is the optimal band for comfort heating of people. It is in this band that Opranics IR-X Carbon Black elements operate, with a peak at 2.4 micrometers. Long-wave infrared (IR-C) has high absorption but lower intensity, making it effective indoors but insufficient outdoors.
Read our in-depth analysis of infrared wavelengths and why 2.4 µm is the key to comfort heating.
Water Content
Why 2.4 micrometers is the right choice
We as humans and animals consist of approximately 80% water. This fact is crucial for choosing an infrared heat source. For infrared heat to provide good comfort, it is important to select the right type of infrared technology, one that optimizes its radiation at the wavelengths where water absorbs best and reflects least.
Water absorbs infrared radiation very efficiently around 2.4 to 3.0 micrometers. This means that radiation at 2.4 µm is actually absorbed by the body, in the skin layer, where the heat receptors are located, instead of being reflected away. High absorption means that more of the energy you pay for actually stays in the body and provides comfort.
IR-X Carbon Black peak output
Medium-wave is absorbed. Short-wave is reflected away.
The Skin's Defense
The skin's natural reflective ability: a defense mechanism
The skin has evolved to accommodate infrared radiation in many ways, by maximizing or reflecting its properties depending on wavelength. The skin’s natural reflective ability is greatest with short-wave radiation and then decreases after 1.4 to 1.6 micrometers. This means that short-wave radiation strikes the skin with its heat, but the majority is reflected away and causes no real heating of the body.
A short-wave infrared heater may feel warm at a distance of 2 to 3 meters, but the majority of the energy is reflected and not efficiently absorbed by humans. Infrared radiation in the medium- or long-wave range produces the opposite effect: high absorption capacity and almost no reflection. These are the two most important characteristics if you want efficient and healthy heat.
100% Natural
100% natural for the body
Infrared heat is 100% natural for the body and our well-being. It is the same form of heat that the sun provides us. Sitting next to an Opranic heater feels somewhat like enjoying the sun’s warmth on a cloudless day.
Opranic heaters do not heat the air directly, unlike convection heaters. Instead, walls, surfaces, and objects within range are heated. The heat is stored and released slowly and evenly, creating a well-distributed and natural comfort heat. A consequence of this radiation method is that the air does not become dry and is more pleasant to breathe compared to traditional heating systems.
Air Quality
Good for allergy sufferers and air quality
One aspect that is rarely mentioned is air quality. Infrared radiant heat does not disturb the air. There is no fan, no air circulation, and no air movement that spreads dust or pollen. Unlike forced-air heating systems, infrared heaters do not blow dust or allergens. They emit no emissions, chemicals, or pollutants and help keep the air clean.
Traditional central heating systems circulate warm, humid air that can carry dust, mold, and fungal spores. The cooler, drier air in a room with infrared heating creates a healthier and more comfortable environment. Because infrared heating does not create warm air currents, there is no thermal stratification and no drafts. The room climate feels fresher and dust is not stirred up.
Infrared is the only heating technology that is rational outdoors.
Outdoor Performance
Why infrared heat works better outdoors
The crucial point is that convection heat, such as gas fireplaces or fan heaters, heats the air. Outdoors, warm air rises upward and blows away. On an open terrace, you lose most of the energy directly to the sky. You pay to heat the weather, not the people.
An infrared heater does not heat the air at all, it heats surfaces and bodies that the radiation strikes. The wind can blow as much as it wants, but as long as you sit in the radiation field, you feel the heat. This is the same reason you can stand in the sun on a cold winter day and feel warmth on your skin even though the air temperature is below zero.
Independent Research
Independent evidence: LTU and Vattenfall 2019
In 2019, an independent academic thesis was conducted at Luleå University of Technology, commissioned by Vattenfall AB’s research and development department, in collaboration with Opranic. The purpose was to investigate infrared radiation as a de-icing system for wind turbine blades in arctic conditions. The tests were conducted in a climate hall at Arctic Falls facilities in Piteå on a full-scale wind turbine shaft.
The test results showed that of the evaluated parameters, distance and wavelength had the greatest impact on efficiency and de-icing time. This is independent academic research that confirms the engineering decisions Opranic has based its products on for more than 20 years. ICNIRP safety guidelines further confirm that infrared radiation at these levels is safe for comfort heating.
Energy Efficiency
96% is converted into heat
A high-quality infrared heater converts up to 96% of the supplied electrical energy directly into radiant heat. The remaining 2 to 3% is emitted as a faint, pleasant glow. There is no warm-up time and no energy losses via air that is heated and then blows away. Within seconds, you feel the immediate warmth.
This is the difference between turning on full power and hoping it gets warm, and directing exactly the right amount of heat where it is needed, directly to the body, not out into the air.
is converted into radiant heat
96% of the energy you pay for is converted into heat in the body.
The System
It is the system that makes the difference
A good carbon element is necessary, but it is not enough. It must be combined with an optimized parabolic reflector that focuses the radiation in the right direction, a housing and side reflectors made of stainless steel that minimize side losses, and electronics that keep the element temperature stable.
For more than 20 years, Opranic has developed and refined all these parts together as an integrated system. It is this engineering philosophy that explains why Opranic consistently performs better in independent tests, not a single component, but the system as a whole.