I love the radiant heat panels- they rock the casbah!! I think they are most like the sun and best mimic a natural environment. I have 3 already for 3 of my RBI cages and am working on getting al my cages outfitted with them.
I like them a ton also because they allow me to use whatever substrate I want at whatever thickness the snake prefers. Because I am not relying on heat from underneath, I don't need to worry that not enough heat is escaping from below. I can use thick stuff and the snake can lounge 'under the sun' or get a little cooler in a hide or snuggle in substrate. Also, RHP's allow for a bump in the ambient temps a little which, for my situation, is good.
You might want to give Rich a call and let him know what you're thinking about and ask for his feedback.