In areas where air conditioners are utilized, air leakage accounts for 15–25 percent of winter heat loss in buildings and can contribute to substantial loss of ‘coolth.’ One of the easiest modifications you can make to improve your comfort while lowering your energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions is to seal your home against air leaks. With the exception of naturally ventilated dwellings in the tropics, the more advantageous sealing is the more severe your climate.
Because sealing your house and raising insulation levels may lead to condensation and poor indoor air quality, this article describes how condensation works, which climates are most susceptible to it, and how you can mitigate its effects.
Insulation keeps your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer by acting as a barrier to heat movement. It can also aid in soundproofing and weatherproofing. Year-round comfort is provided by a well-insulated and well-designed home, which may save cooling and heating expenses by up to half while also lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The necessary degree of insulation, as well as the best kind to pick — bulk, reflective, or composite — is determined by the climate. Insulation is most cost-effective when installed during construction.
Thermal mass refers to a material’s ability to absorb and store heat energy. To change the temperature of high density materials like concrete, bricks, and tiles, a lot of heat energy is required: these materials have a large heat storage capacity and are hence referred to as having high thermal mass. Thermal mass is minimal in lightweight materials like wood.
The use of high-thermal-mass materials throughout your house can help you save money on your heating and cooling expenses, but it must be done correctly. Poor usage may worsen the climate’s greatest extremes, radiating heat on a hot summer night or absorbing all of the heat you generate on a cold winter night. Thermal mass is used effectively to regulate interior temperatures by averaging day and night temperature extremes. Thermal mass must be combined with climate-appropriate passive design approaches to be successful. Thermal mass may be retrofitted in various situations, however it is most conveniently done during construction or remodeling.