THE VALUE OF THERMAL MASS FOR A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE IN A COOL TEMPERATE CLIMATE OF AUSTRALIA

摘要

The thermal simulation of a sample passive solar house in cool temperate southern Tasmania, Australia, produced calculated zone temperatures and heating and cooling energy requirements. As part of the design progress outputs from typical summer and winter months were compared for low-mass; mid-mass and high mass iterations. The simulations show significant energy savings and smaller diurnal range on zone temperatures, resulting in improved thermal comfort for the mid-mass house when compared to the light-mass house. However, levels of thermal comfort and simulated energy savings for heating and cooling are only marginally higher in the high mass house when compared to the results from the mid-mass house model.