1. The Sustainable Benefits and Applications of Thermal Mass in Hot-Humid Climates Jesse Madden The University of Texas at Austin Source: http://www.yourhome.gov.au/sites/prod.yourhome.gov.au/files/images/63487.png

2.  Different building materials have different thermal mass  Concrete, masonry, adobe, and others have high thermal mass Thermal Mass: the ability to store energy Source: http://www.azobuild.com/images/Article_Images/ImageForArticle_8095(3).jpg

3.  Thermal inertia is the naturally occurring process of heat accumulation and release  Used to dampen heating and cooling loads to decrease energy consumption Thermal Inertia: the process of the use of thermal mass

4. Thermal Inertia delays and reduces peak energy loads Source: http://www.blueridgeicf.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/image087.jpg

5.  Building orientation, window placement, and thermal mass positioning Source:http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/sites//filedefaults/styles/large/public/core-page-inserted-images/orientation_of_glazing_e_w_-_revised.jpg Factors Affecting Thermal Inertia

6.  Cold-dry climates because of the large temperature variation throughout a 24-hour period  Thermal mass in itself is not a new idea Traditional and Historic Uses Source: https://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/secc_edu/images/diurnal.jpg

7.  Marie Kerbacher and Atila Novoselac of UT produced a study to determine how thermal mass would perform in a climate like Austin, TX  Found that a building with Austin-ideal design elements reduced energy consumption more than an identical building in Phoenix, AZ  The best performing buildings took advantage of night ventilation New Studies for Hot-Humid Climates

8. Source: http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/sites/default/files/core-page-files/night_flushing_-_revised.jpg Thermal Mass with Night Ventilation

9.  Researcher Edna Shaviv studied buildings with thermal mass and night ventilation in Israel  Found that night ventilation could help to reduce indoor air temperature by about 9°F  The introduction of fresh air at night purges the released heat from the thermal mass Thermal Mass and Night Ventilation

10.  Concrete is a huge contributor of atmospheric CO 2  How ethical is it to use an environmentally harmful material to supposedly increase sustainability? Ethics: the production of cement Source: http://us-concrete.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/EF_01.jpg

11.  Edward Hacker produced a study to quantitatively determine the embodied and operational CO 2 of a building using thermal mass  Used a 100 year lifecycle analysis  Compared three buildings with heavy thermal mass to a lightweight building  Defined payback period as the time when the operational CO 2 savings outweighed the difference of embodied CO 2 to that of the lightweight constant Source: Environmental Impacts of Thermal Mass

12. WeightEmbodied CO 2 (tons) ECO 2 Payback Time (years) CO 2 Saved (tons) Light32.03 Medium33.271122 Medium-Heavy35.052133 Heavy36.962535.7 Source: Hacker, J. 2008. Embodied and Operational Carbon Dioxide Emission from Housing: A Case Study on the Effects of Thermal Mass and Climate Change. Energy and Buildings, 40 (3), 375-384. Retrieved June 8, 2015, from sciencedirect.com Thermal Mass CO 2 Savings

13.  There is no universally optimized building design  Each project should be individually designed based on location and climate  Thermal mass in conjunction with night ventilation and building orientation can produce a greatly sustainable building Source: http://www.yourhome.gov.au/sites/prod.yourhome.gov.au/files/images/63494.png Thermal Inertia is an Important Element of Passive Solar Design