Thermal Mass

What is it?

Thermal mass is a general term referring to high-density materials with a low resistance to heat transfer. Materials like stone, concrete, adobe, and cob are all high thermal mass materials.

 


How does it work?

Thermal mass acts like a battery for heat, absorbing heat energy from the sun or other heat sources like fireplaces, ground source heat pumps, and solar hot water heaters. After absorbing heat all day in the winter, thermal mass will radiate that heat back all night at a slow, steady, comfortable temperature. During summertime, thermal mass can absorb “coolth” during the nights, and keep inside temperatures down during the hot days.

 

What are the benefits?


  • Lower fuel consumption raises security

    • First, using thermal mass allows for maintenance-free heating and cooling as well as lower fuel consumption. By lowering the need for fuel, security is raised in high-threat environments. Less fuel truck deliveries mean less chances for attacks, both from rockets at the main gate as a truck goes through, and IEDs attached to the top of a fuel truck where they can slip in to camp and wreak havoc.

     

  • Quality of heat

    • Second, thermal mass increases the quality of the heat or “coolth” in a building. It's the difference between being over-heated by the blow-drying effect of forced air or absorbing gentle radiant heat from a warm rock on a cool summer night. Studies by the state of California suggest a rise of up to 15% in employee efficiency, just from making the indoor environment more comfortable.

     

    What makes thermal mass useful for Exup?

    Thermal mass is an excellent dual-purpose material, no matter if it's cob, concrete, or rammed earth. Not only does it act as a giant thermal battery, it also offers protection from the attacks of both the weather and humans. Sitting on the inside of an 18” thick wall while a hurricane blows outside just feels...safe.

     

    Sitting on the right side of 8 inches of concrete during a mortar attack may not provide that warm and fuzzy feeling you get when the wind is blowing 10 on the Beaufort scale and you live in a solid house, but it’s safer than the tin foil trailers that soldiers and contractors are living in now in Iraq and Afghanistan.


     

    For hundreds of helpful facts and figures regarding green building, energy, and the economy, check out our GREEN FACTS page.