A heavy material such as concrete is capable of buffering a large part of the free heat gains, such as solar radiation and heat. Concrete can therefore decrease energy consumption as well as improve thermal comfort. A taskforce of three principal organisations related to concrete construction (CEMBUREAU/BIBM/ ERMCO) has investigated and documented the advantages of heavy buildings. Energy balance calculations were undertaken for buildings of heavy and lightweight construction in various European climates, for both residential and office circumstances. The results show that a solid residential building requires 2-7% less bought energy for heating compared to a building of lightweight construction. This has significant economical and environmental impacts. Where cooling is required, the energy savings are even larger and cooling facilities can be avoided altogether in many heavy buildings. The advantages are further increased if the effect of thermal mass is actively taken into account in the building design. An information database of the role of concrete in energy efficient buildings including a portfolio of energy efficient concrete buildings has been compiled.
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