What is your home made out of? The materials used to build a house are an important factor in its energy efficiency, particularly when it comes to your HVAC system. What are the best HVAC building materials to use? Here are a few.
Basic Materials
There are several options that have been used in building houses for millennia. Among them are stone, brick, and concrete. This is largely because they're strong, sturdy, and long-lasting. However, they have other benefits as well, in terms of temperature regulation.
All these materials are very effective at heat absorption, acting as natural insulation. In winter, the sun heats them up, providing warmth to the house's interior. In summer, they absorb the hot air inside the house, allowing it to cool more quickly. In both cases, it then becomes easier for your home to reach its ideal temperature, reducing the load on your HVAC system.
Cutting-Edge Materials
Stone and brick can be incredibly effective in temperature regulation. However, scientists are currently developing brand new HVAC building materials that can reduce HVAC energy use even more. Smart building materials are still in their infancy, but someday they may eliminate the need for AC and furnaces almost entirely.
These smart materials are modeled after the human body and that of other warm-blooded organisms. Whether there's a heat wave or a blizzard, your internal body temperature remains the same — around 98 degrees. Imagine if the temperature of an entire building could be regulated the same way and kept constant, regardless of outside conditions.
As it currently stands, the material is a gel-like substance, which would make it difficult to build with. However, it could line other building materials or be used as a window treatment to help with temperature regulation. It will likely be at least a few years before these materials become widely available. When they do, though, it could change the face of HVAC forever.
To learn about other HVAC building materials to improve your home's energy efficiency, contact us at Air Assurance. We provide quality home-comfort solutions to Broken Arrow.