Masonry Magazine January 1977 Page.31
FEA STUDY/MASONRY WALLS
continued from page 8
buildings, they sharply reduce the peak load. This cuts energy use, creates more stable interior environments, and reduces energy consumption at the source.
One reason glass facades are costly is that during the summer the glass building begins to consume energy almost the instant solar heat strikes the glass surface. Automatic air-conditioners promptly begin to circulate cool air in response to this external condition.
At the same time of day, the solar heat has not penetrated the building with masonry walls and HVAC equipment is operating at a rate similar to that present prior to the sun's effect on the walls. As the building approaches its peak load, probably at about 2 p.m., the full force of solar heat and internal building activity are affecting the interior environment.
But the rate at which the heat has entered the masonry structure is considerably slower, which reduces both the size and length of the peak loading period.
Process Reversed in Cold Weather
The entire process is reversed during the cold winter months. Though the sun still warms the building facade during the winter, cold outside air and air infiltration are the chief energy problems. The principal task of the building operator in the winter is to minimize the loss of heat and the entrance of cold air.
In structures with a glass facade, windows not facing the sunlight are generally extremely cold in winter, sometimes even frosting on the inside. Windows facing the sunny side of the structure, the south or west face, usually are hot. The building heat distribution system must accommodate this difference.
Buildings with masonry walls retain within the building the heat from equipment, people and lighting, and heated air from the heating system. That heat, just as in the summer, cannot easily penetrate the masonry walls and, instead, is retained within the structure.
Masonry Reduces Peak Equipment Loads
Therefore, during the coldest winter months, masonry retains available heat, reduces the entrance of outside cold air, maintains a more even temperature, reduces peak loads on building equipment and helps to cut heating bills.
Research comparing the heat transfer of entire wall sections has shown that heat transfer through all building envelopes is significantly affected by solar orientation. But solar orientation may not, in the case of these buildings, work to save energy.
For example, in an all-glass building, the air-conditioning might have to be turned on in February in the southern exposure, despite the fact that it is 20 degrees outside the structure, while rooms in the northern exposure would be heated as well. Does this conserve energy?
There are claims that radiation can reduce demands on cooling equipment when reflective glass is compared to clear glass. But neither type glass can compete with masonry in reducing cooling demands. Since air-conditioning is more expensive than winter heating, and since the cost of both is still rising, it makes sense for developers and owners to study the cost-effectiveness of masonry.
For a free copy of the Mass/Masonry Energy booklet, write: International Masonry Institute, Suite 1001, 823 Fifteenth Street, N.W., Washington D.C. 20005.
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MASONRY/NOV. DEC. 31