What Is a Thermal Mass Design Strategy?
Thermal mass (the concrete, the masonry — the heat's storage) moderates the temperature swings — the mass absorbing the day's heat, releasing at night (the time lag — the decrement). The strategy: the mass's placement (the interior — the conditioned's; the direct sun's), the climate's (the diurnal swing — the 20°F+; the mass's effectiveness), and the insulation's (the exterior — the mass inside). The passive's flywheel.
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How mass works
The storage (the heat capacity — the concrete's; the absorption — the day's), the lag (the time — the 6-12 hours; the decrement — the amplitude's reduction), and the release (the night's — the ventilation's; the flush).
Design strategy
The placement (the interior — the conditioned side; the sun's — the direct gain), the amount (the 4-6 inch — the effective; the surface — the area's), the insulation (the exterior — the mass inside the envelope; the interior's — the isolating mistake), and the climate (the swing — the 20°F+; the humid's — the limited).
The night flush
The ventilation (the cool night's — the mass's discharge; the operable — the windows; the fans'), the controls (the automated — the optimization), and the modeling (the energy — the mass's; the comfort's). The mass is the passive — the swing's moderator, not the heater.
The bottom line
Place thermal mass (4-6 in concrete/masonry) inside exterior insulation in 20°F+ diurnal-swing climates with night-flush ventilation — model time lag/decrement in energy analysis.
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