With an increased focus on the R-value of building enclosures, it's Important to not get caught up in an insulation metric and lose sight of overall thermal performance. Thermal mass, when properly exploited, can significantly boost energy efficiency due to thermal lag time: the structure's ability to absorb and store significant amounts of thermal energy. Some wall designs, such as those using insulated concrete forms (ICF), don't fully leverage the potential of thermal mass, because the insulation's placement prevents the thermal mass from being exposed to the building's interior. On the other hand, high-performing insulated thermal mass can be achieved by using an insulated concrete block product with a continuous expanded polystyrene (EPS) insert separating the block's interior from its exterior, as opposed to a core-stuffed block.
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