"Thermal mass"

Thermal mass / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Solar thermal collectors

Product of the month: Solar water heater with overheating protection

...thermal heat collection. Purchase: You can purchase individual solar components separately, but buying a pre-engineered solar thermal package can make more sense than buying items ‘a la carte’. Viessmann offers two options for pre-engineered solar thermal packages - the Vitosol DHW Solar Pack, or alternatively, they w...

Solar thermal collectors

All about solar thermal collectors

...thermal solar is useful, so we will outline the options. Evacuated tube solar thermal collectors: Solar thermal collector © Viessmann This is the most common type of solar thermal collector you will likely see on the roof of a home. The collector panel itself is most commonly made up of glass tubes that contain coppe...

Architecture and plan design

How to design for thermal comfort in a home

...thermal bridging, sealed against air leaks, triple-paned windows, humidity control and properly designed heating, cooling and ventilation equipment, to name a few. Thermal comfort = efficiency and durability: The less heat that is lost through the building enclosure, the warmer it will be, and less heat will be lost...

Solar thermal collectors

All about solar air heaters - DIY or purchased

...thermal mass included for heat storage, you will likely need an additional heat source like high efficiency wood-burning stoves or fireplaces, or if off-grid an electric-free wood pellet stove. Storing solar heat (thermal batteries): If you incorporate thermal mass into a home to store and release heat, you can distrib...

Efficient home design

The pros and cons of thermal mass in buildings

...thermal mass in it, any such savings pretty much cease to exist because it might take the entire day to drop even a full degree. The disadvantages of thermal mass in homes: Let's speak to the potential downsides of thermal mass first - if a home is regularly left empty for several days at a time or if you keep a cottag...

Solar thermal collectors

Celsius: The solar heated igloo!

...thermal mass bench which then radiates heat at night. On the roof are photovoltaic cells that charge batteries which then powers interior lights and the outdoor LED display . © Raphaël Thibodeau Us: Is this shelter a first in Québec? L. McC: There are buildings that are heated with solar power in Quebec, but...

Efficient home design

Phase change building materials - natural heat storage in buildings

...thermal battery. The very idea of keeping a building at room temperature no matter the season, is something of an uphill battle against the laws of physics. We can't change or break those laws, but this is a case where we could use them to our advantage. Find out more about advanced home design, how to design for the...

Efficient home design

Thermal batteries: how to passively store heat

...thermal battery? Thermal mass of any kind can by definition be called a thermal battery, as it has the ability to store heat. In the context of a house, that means dense materials like bricks, masonry and concrete. Even a jug of water sitting in a sunny window is a thermal battery of sorts as it captures and later rele...

Concept and design

Do Earthships work in cold climates?

...thermal mass walls was his own idea, and gave home insulation a new name - Thermal Wrap. "If the Earthship were a gasoline engine, Thermal Wrap and double or triple greenhouses would be fuel injection. I am ready to race any conventional heating system." - Michael Reynolds, Earthship Biotect. Thermal mass does store ...

Passive solar home design

...thermal radiation. Darker materials with heavy mass like concrete, stone or brick will absorb the most heat. For walls you can simply add a second layer of drywall (or more), if you want to keep a traditional look. A high quality window choice is important, and to truly invest in this concept you are best to install a...

Foundation choices

Slab-on-grade vs foundation and crawlspace or basement

...thermal mass to absorb heat. A slab is a great place to bury electrical work, plumbing, central vacuum tubes, phone and internet lines, speaker wires, and most importantly, tubing for radiant floor heat. A slab-on-grade means no basement, no basement walls, just one slab of concrete on which you build your house. They ...