@ kassy,
I don't quite understand why you think that thermal mass is such a good idea. It has nothing to do with insulation, and subsequent heat loss. The only relevant factors are the temperature differential, and the K factor..
Hi Syd.
The importance of thermal mass is to store and release heat. This will average out the change of temperatures experienced with hot days/cold nights and reduce energy consumption.
In the reverse, not using thermal mass correctly could increase the energy consumption by way of releasing heat into a room that is already above the required temp.
You are correct in saying that it has nothing to do with insulation but it has alot to do with thermal regulation. Hence your statement regarding temperature differential is spot on target.
I dont know what you mean by K factor, sorry. Can you elaborate on that please?
I used polystyrene foam as the insulation in my fish-room, but I opted for a hard grade which is more efficient
This works so well because the hard grade refers to the products density.
The more dense a product the longer it takes for the hot and cold air to pass through it and the more energy it will absorb.
Think of insulation as boarder patrol or Customs. It is only a barrier between two different environs. The harder it is to pass through Customs the better it maintains the desired effect. The harder it is for hot temps to penetrate into a cool room the amount of energy required to maintain that temp is reduced.
Ok thanks mate I don't really have that option unfortunately.
What options do you have? I, and the others here can help you decide which is better or better value.
Pardon the pun but this is fast becoming a HOT topic.......i think everyone would love to help and learn in the meantime too...