Thermal Mass
A key element in the heating and cooling of any
structure is the relative tendency of its skin to resist heat flow. An exterior resistant
to heat transfer effectively provides a layer of insulation which
more heat conductive materials do not. Masonry walls have a
more favorable rate of heat transfer because of their greater heat
storage capacity, which is sometimes referred to as thermal mass,
or capacity insulation. Builders used this characteristic in
their designs for centuries prior to the development of modern air
conditioning methods, which are capable of overcoming less efficient
designs at the cost of increased fuel use.
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