Thank you for supporting the log home industry!
Here are the links to the two research papers.
#1 CRADA Report by ORNL
The study found that adding more insulation is not always the best way to reduce heating and cooling loads. In many climates thermal mass can be as effective as extremely high insulation levels.
The Conclusion
Mass timber walls can:
- Reduce annual energy consumption.
- Improve thermal comfort of occupants.
- Help electrical grids by moving energy demand away from peak hours.
- Support decarbonization goals because timber is a renewable, carbon sequestering building material.
The greatest benefits occur in climates with day-to-night temperature swings, where the thermal mass can actively store and release heat.
#2 CRADA NFE-21 08867 Report
The study found that mass timber’s thermal performance cannot be judged solely as insulation (R-value).
CLT’s thermal mass provides important benefits, including:
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- More stable indoor temperatures.
- Reduced temperature swings.
- Comparable peak energy performance demand without adding insulation.
- Mass timber energy performance exceeds expectations.
- Improved resilience during power outages.
- Superior occupant comfort.
Current energy simulation tools may not fully capture these thermal-mass effects and should be refined.
What’s Next?
Phase 3: Making Change Happen
Our goal is to advocate for log and mass timber building code changes. It’s time to level the playing field between log and traditional built homes. R-value isn’t a fair measure of how log homes and mass timber walls perform. Help secure the future of log and mass timber homes by donating below.
Every little bit helps.
Donate $10, $25, or $10,000 it all helps.
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