ABSTRACT
Thermal mass is associated with heat absorption and retention in a building. Thermal capacitance alone only gives information on how much heat is needed to change the temperature of the material by a unit temperature. Having introduced thermal mass material into the building, it is very important not to subsequently insulate it from the internal environment. High thermal mass will make the heating and cooling process slower, and therefore a good-quality thermostat with narrow dead band will be required for continuous operation. If the heating is run intermittently so that it is switched off for longer periods of time, prolonged heating-up periods will occur after the heating is switched on. Intermittent heating in a building with high thermal mass is therefore likely to cause higher use of energy and lower levels of comfort. Continuous heating controlled by a narrow dead band thermostat will achieve lower energy consumption and a higher level of thermal comfort.
