Energy Efficiency of Concrete Homes
Compared with homes with frame walls, even with much more added insulation, concrete saves energy.
Houses with exterior concrete walls, also called mass walls, use less energy to heat and cool than similarly insulated houses with wood or steel frame walls. This is a known fact, but because identical wood frame and concrete houses are rarely built side-by-side, computer modeling is the only way to quantify the energy savings. CTLGroup analyzed houses in 25 cities to determine the energy-saving effects of concrete mass walls.
Martha VanGeem, Principal Engineer and head of Building Science & Sustainability, and John Gajda, Principal Engineer in Building Science & Sustainability at CTLGroup, co-authored this June 2005 Residential Concrete article.
Source: Residential Concrete
Other Insights by these authors
- Precooling Mass Concrete with Liquid Nitrogen
July 6, 2012 - John Gajda Speaks at DOT Technology Symposium
May 17, 2012 - Mass Concrete and Power Generation
November 1, 2011 - Understanding ASHRAE 189.1
October 5, 2011 - Gajda Presents at Electric Power Conference & Exhibition in Rosemont, IL
May 11, 2011 - Martha VanGeem Quoted in livebetter Newsletter
January 20, 2011 - Testimony for House Committee Hearing on “Options and Opportunities for Onsite Renewable Energy Integration”
November 15, 2010 - In Your Crowd, Who Stands Tall?
September 1, 2010 - Right Start, Right Result: Beginning with the Site
June 1, 2010 - It’s More Than Design: Construction & Building Operation
June 1, 2010 - Energy Efficiency: Building on Standard 90.1
June 1, 2010 - Green Design Trends: The New Green Standard
April 12, 2010 - Gajda co-teaches Concrete Session at a 3 day Formwork Course
April 9, 2010 - Solar Reflectance Values for Concrete
August 1, 2008 - Integrating Insulation and Surface Finishes into Concrete Walls and Floors
January 1, 2008 - Comparison of the Life Cycle Assessments of an Insulating Concrete Form House and a Wood Frame House
January 1, 2008 - Mass Concrete for Buildings and Bridges
January 1, 2007 - Achieving Sustainability with Precast Concrete
February 1, 2006 - Engineering Mass Concrete Structures
January 1, 2006 - Precooling Mass Concrete
August 1, 2005 - HVAC Sizing Software for Concrete Homes
June 1, 2005 - Great Thickness Requires Great Lengths
January 1, 2005 - Cement Plant Burns Refuse in Commercial-Scale Demo
October 1, 2004 - Life Cycle Inventory Of Slag Cement Concrete
January 1, 2004 - Save Time and Money on Mass Concrete Construction
September 1, 2003 - Using Concrete to Maximize LEED Points
November 1, 2002 - Controlling Temperatures in Mass Concrete
January 1, 2002