Thermal Mass
Find it here in Green pioneer.com


"Cool, clear water...water"
Some old cowboy song

Starting With the Basics

Thermal mass is a concept that applies to how a form or substance absorbs, retains, and releases heat. The principle of thermal mass has very useful and practical applications in regard to homes and buildings in general. When used wisely in ways that compliment a family's needs and the climate in which they live, the benefits of thermal mass are very impressive.

Thermal mass is a form of passive solar which applies simply to the manner in which certain designs and materials absorb and release heat or coolness. Once the materials and design are in place, it just works naturally with no mechanical parts or fuels. And these elements vary depending on the climate and amount of sunshine an area receives. These links provide a more overall, in depth discussion of thermal mass and how it is incorporated into building construction for maximum energy efficiency.

http://www.greenspec.co.uk/html/lowcarbon/lowcarbonthermalmass.html

http://www.eere.energy.gov/de/passive_solar_design.html

These links describe basic concepts involved in a passive solar house or home construction:

http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/construction/solardesign/thermal.html

http://oikos.com/library/energy_outlet/passive_solar.html

A few of the most common thermal mass materials used today include cinder block, concrete, brick, stone, earth or burms (referred to as "soddies" in the pioneer days), adobe or adobe brick, and logs. Here is a photo of a home design in Colorado using passive solar architecture and thermal mass materials.

http://www.strawbalehomes.com/solar1.html

http://www.strawbalehomes.com/stockplans.html

http://www.thenaturalhome.com/passivesolar.html

This article pertains specifically to log homes

http://www.sharploghomes.com/mass.htm

Water is also an excellent thermal mass but is not used in construction obviously. However, creative uses of an indoor pool, if incorporated into the energy design of the house, can have some incredible benefits (more on that later!). Some are also using 'water columns' as room dividers, window covers, and in garden rooms. The advantages of using water for additional thermal mass is that it diffuses light without blocking it out completely and humidifies the air. Water is also the winning heavy weight champion of all thermal mass materials coming in at 10x greater than even the densest stone and concrete.

http://www.thenaturalhome.com/passivestuff.html

I was first introduced to the idea of thermal mass when I rented an 'earth home' with one of the girls I worked with in Vail. It was built into the side of a mountain called Belly Ache Ridge at about 9000 ft. altitude. The details in this house were very forward thinking and definitely high-tech...even for today...and this was in 1989. It was done in a southwest contemporary style and was finished at a cost over a million dollars (way over my budget).

One feature I remember was an electric curtain panel that ran on a sensor over the skylight in the breakfast area. When the sun came out it would open, and then would close back up in varying degrees depending on the cloud cover. It was mostly constructed of stucco, stone, and tile with the mountain being part of its roof area. The views, of course, were also amazing with panoramic windows across the living room. The way it was positioned, the interior received both eastern and western sunlight - important at 9000 ft. elevation. By living in this house, I began to see ways they used passive solar and thermal mass...although I had no idea what those concepts were or that they even existed. All I knew at the time was that it was a very cool (or warm) house!