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  • 1.  Thermal mass

    ASES Award Winner
    Posted 4 days ago
    Happy 4th from NM. Adobe walls with mud plaster.  Hot here 99 outside, 78 inside. Sleep wirh blankets to our chins. Dirt works.


  • 2.  RE: Thermal mass

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 4 days ago

    Ya it does, but its not fixed, and climate dependent (Dry). And its not as expedient as wood framing or pure masonry. Its been out there as a solution for an easy 150+ years, but remains niche. One could say its coincidence, but probably not. And Psychologically, dirt is dirty, pun intended. 

    As far as happy 4th, ya I suppose. But if I were to be blunt, in this Nations history, this is probably the bleakest 4th ever with the current Fascist agenda being played out by the squatter, the totally compromised DOJ, some members of the FBI, SC, and a few hundred other complicit's in positions of power. Those alive in 1776 who fought for the Constitution, would be hurling up at where we are today, and 300 million people who won't stand up and take care of business....



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    william fitch
    Owner
    www.WeAreSolar.com
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  • 3.  RE: Thermal mass

    ASES Award Winner
    Posted 4 days ago
    Dirt is not dirty. Yes dry climates. When you got it flaunt it. Other strategies for other climates. Taos Pueblo, 800 years occupied,  life cycle?
    Yes, country in trouble, but nows the time to be positive. Got no choice. Mark Chalom




    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Thermal mass

    ASES Life Member
    Posted 2 days ago

    90 F here, 74 inside with concrete thermal mass and no AC. With our cool nights, we could go lower if we wanted. JMHO, adobe is prettier!



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    M Keith Sharp
    Emeritus Professor
    Louisville KY
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  • 5.  RE: Thermal mass

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 2 days ago

    Assuming you are doing nighttime cooling to get it down a bit at night, depending on where you live, that can come with a big penalty. In the dry and arid areas, pollen and other related airborne particles are not such a big deal. But if you live in the farmlands (I do) the pollen and humidity is terrible in the growing seasons. You bring that in at night (The worst) and you had better be totally allergy proof. We used to do whole house fan night cooling before we had Geo-thermal.. It kept us cool but it was pretty bad as stated. Now with Geo, all that is really not a big deal. The sunnier and hotter it is, the more solar energy we have to cool. Winter is still the hardest because of the much reduced sun and cold temps.. 

    Masonry for thermal mass is good to a point, to smooth things out.. But it does make it harder to change the temp when you want to for "X" reasons.

    The best solutions are always a balancing act of the various +'s and -'s..



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    william fitch
    Owner
    www.WeAreSolar.com
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Thermal mass

    Posted 2 days ago
    Here in Durango Colorado, at 7,000' elevation, our true adobe is very comfortable.
    Day to night outdoor temperatures can vary 40 degrees, from 90 degree days to 50 degree nights, perfect for night flushing.
    Unfortunately several days this week the air has been fairly toxic with smoke from wildfires burning in the region, opening up the windows for a night flush is not the wisest move.
    Fortunately our home is equipped with a HRV and two mini splits.
    We have excellent filtered & cooled air 24/7 and only sipping energy to run the equipment.
    We will go back to night flushing once the conditions allow but for now we are so glad to have this amazing 21st century technology!
    A passive solar design with a HRV & mini splits creates a super comfortable and healthy indoor living environment.

    As people say..... "climate change is just getting started"...... best to be prepared.


    Steve Kawell 



     



    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Thermal mass

    Posted 2 days ago

    We are in northern California average temperature swings are between 40 and 50 degrees my house is stick framed with closed cell Insulation and a multizone Mini split VRF system and lots of PV (we're grid tied with on one of the only peak rates that is after the sun goes down @ 71 cents / Kw between 6 PM and midnight. to combat we use 25 kw of Lithium Ion battery storage for our house and my sons ADU (which is 8" ICF with Minisplit VRF's) all this with a shop and a garage and we were selling back excess power 24 hours a day the last 2 month Man I love summer.



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    Shawn Masterson Sr
    Mechanical Contractor
    Nor Cal Mechanical LLC
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