The impact of thermal mass and insulation of building structure on energy efficiency

A methodology is developed that allows an optimization of the dimensions of a building's structural components at the initial design stage, aimed to minimize operational and embodied energy consumption. The methodology includes a parametric, iterative and interactive process of incremental alterations in structural design and thermal performance in search for an optimal solution. The results of the application of the methodology in a case study indicate that structural components with a higher thermal mass can reduce operational energy consumption by up to 3%. The addition of insulation results in a significant reduction in operational energy consumption, while reducing the relative impact of non-insulated thermal mass in the building envelope.