| Abstract: | The objective of this study was to determine the effect of mass on both the annual energy consumption and the maximum rate of energy consumption. There have been recent references in the literature to such effects as ‘mass resistance’, ‘capacity insulation’, and ‘thermal inertia’, suggesting that mass can actually resist the flow of energy through a wall. In this study it is shown that the annual energy comsumption is dependent on the R-factor and the heat capacity per unit area. An example compares two buildings, one with walls that are 400 times as massive as those of the other, and yet the annual energy consumption is identical; hence, the idea of ‘mass resistance’ is to be avoided. The real effect of increased mass is typically to increase the heat capacity. The effect of increased heat capacity in a building is shown to lead to a slight decrease in the annual energy consumption and a significant decrease in the maximum rate of energy consumption. |
