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Thermal mass makes sense if exposure to heat can be carefully controlled, in a manner consistent with solar passive principles. Ideally this would be in the for
by simondotau 4y ago
Thermal mass makes sense if exposure to heat can be carefully controlled, in a manner consistent with solar passive principles. Ideally this would be in the form of concrete floor/brick wall behind a glazed and shaded south-facing window (northern hemisphere) in an otherwise well insulated house.
In practice, it’s generally better to just have a well insulated house in the first place. (Passivhaus being the attainable ideal.)
- CalRobert 4y agoTrue, and thermal mass is amazing if you have a lot of giant rocks and use them to soak up sun and keep fruit trees warm at night, allowing you to grow fruits normally suited to much warmer climates. My experience was mostly old brick buildings in Dublin (old enough to not be cavity wall) and having all the heat they soaked up during the day radiated back at you at night. I plan to add retractable awnings over the windows that get a lot of sun at some point too; they can make a big difference. And, of course, trees! Deciduous trees give you shade in the summer and kindly drop their leaves so you have light in the winter. They're amazing!