With the year drawing to a close, we have to say thank you to the forward looking architects, engineers, builders and owners that have made 2011 another success for THERMOMASS, and making 2012 look very promising.

In this industry, if sales are going up while economic indicators are going down, then you must be doing something right. Insulating with THERMOMASS is the best way to not just meet Section J but provide long term value to a building. Thermal mass is the cornerstone of good passive design principles along with proper window placement, shading and ventilation.

More and more savvy buidling owners and occupiers are asking “how well is it insulated”. THERMOMASS is a cost-neutral, far superior alternative to conventional stud and plasterboard wall assemblies. Why compromise the performance and value of your new building?

Feel free to take a look at the rest of our website, especially the Projects section where you can see the range of uses for THERMOMASS, used to create comfortable environments for living, working and learning.

With the weather now starting to heat up, air conditioners around Australia will be working harder to keep temperatures artificially low. Many staff members take cardigans to work in summer months to avoid the chilly conditions they experience with the thermostat turned as low as it will go.  

The difference between a cool building and a comfortable one is very important. The right temperature improves productivity and mood.  If the building has a large, well insulated amount of thermal mass, the temperature on the inside is more consistent throughout the day, without the need for extra cooling. The thermal mass means that the temperature is passively regulated, absorbing and releasing heat energy throughout the day. Everyone inside can leave the cardigan at home and get on with their work. 

  The importance of interior environments is a growing concern among savvy buyers and tenants in residential and commercial markets. If the building is of high value to the occupant, then it must be of high value to the developer. It pays to think about the long term comfort and sustainability of a new structure to maximise return on investment.  

THERMOMASS concrete sandwich panels are the original and best way to create a cost effective, highly energy efficient building with high levels of thermal mass. THERMOMASS is no more expensive than a conventional precast slab and plasterboard wall assembly and the thermal performance is far superior. THERMOMASS is the best way to make a comfortable, high value space for occupants well into the future. 

 The way the world is going these days, it’s important to look to the long term in any decision, regardless of the stake held.

GenY, like it or not, are soon to become major holders of income and wealth in Australia. These people, now aged from twenty into their early thirties, are more and more conscious about the way they spend their money. Although stereotyped as temporary and short term focussed, all this means in the property market is that Gen Y is focused on two things: Comfort and resale value.

A more comfortable home or office means less energy wasted on heating and cooling, and a more pleasant place to be. Places with more constant temperatures are more productive, and mood is as stable as the temperature. All in all – a well insulated home or office with high level of thermal mass make a great sales and tenancy proposition.

THERMOMASS insulated concrete sandwich panels are the original and still the best sandwich panel system. The placement of the insulation on the outside of the envelope leaves a large amount of thermal mass on the inside of the building. The thermal mass passively regulates temperature by absorbing and releasing heat energy around the equilibrium temperature, evening out the peaks and troughs of conditions inside.

THERMOMASS is affordable, safe, reliable and makes scientific and financial sense. Give your new building the edge in comfort and resale value. THERMOMASS Makes Concrete Make Sense.

Recently at CGS, some of Australia’s top developers have been telling us how the THERMOMASS insulation system for concrete sandwich panels really is the easiest way to add value to their new buildings.

The first question asked by more and more real estate buyers is “How is it insulated?” So pervasive is this question is that older homes are much harder to sell than their more modern insulated counterparts.

This increased market awareness cannot be ignored when planning a project of any scale. Aside from ever-rising energy bills, occupiers of buildings want to be free of the artificial heating and cooling which add other discomforts like dry skin, respiratory problems, noise and “too hot or cold syndrome”. Most of all, building owners know that poor concrete insulation is a permanent shackle to high energy costs, and is a hallmark of overall poor thermal design.

Seemingly minor at this stage – in 5-10 years insulation will be a major “tick-box” item for buyers. The real estate game is a long-term one, and if the building is not worth more in 10 years, it’s not worth buying now. Resale value is of primary concern to buyers who know their family or business’s home will not be a permanent one.

All these factors point to the obvious answer. A properly thermally designed building, with THERMOMASS concrete sandwich panels as the cornerstone of great passive design, will be the one that generates most value for all parties concerned.

If Australia’s biggest developers are using concrete sandwich panels, the numbers must add up.  Those left behind using conventional plasterboard methods will forgo return on investment for a system that is no cheaper than a concrete sandwich panel.

In this high-cost, low margin environment, merely satisfying various parts of the BCA, especially Section J, takes priority over what may be the best solution for the job. In the time since Section J was added to the BCA, significant pressure has been placed on industry to insulate buildings to stricter levels. Even so, these levels in Australian buildings are much lower than those in Europe, North America and even China, where thermal insulation elements such as triple glazed windows are standard, and double-double glazing is common.

Building is not a cheap exercise for either owners or the building contractor and everyone involved in the design and erection process. Labour costs and delays, two “necessary evils” tend to be some of the biggest costs, and this can unfortunately take the focus on the use of quality materials and scientifically sound building methods.

If you look at the physics of what is happening, thermally speaking, in a building, and consider this in relation to the density of the materials used, insulated concrete sandwich panels become a clearer and clearer choice for the best practice in building. THERMOMASS insulated concrete sandwich panels go beyond Section J. The placement of thermal mass on the inside of the insulation envelope passively regulates temperature, vastly reducing the need for heating and cooling. Building with THERMOMASS insulated concrete sandwich panels is a long term investment in the comfort and energy efficiency of the building, returning the value for owners and occupants many times over the life of the building.

More than one financial expert has said that the most important time to invest is when times are tough. As the property market and economy looks shakier, the best thing is to go beyond minimums of section J and build something that will generate value when things start looking up again. THERMOMASS insulated concrete is attractive, thermally intelligent and great value. THERMOMASS Makes Concrete Make Sense.

Recent media coverage regarding the energy efficiency of new homes has called into question the way we design homes to meet modern requirements. Residents of homes demand more and more energy from the influx of gadgets and a decreased tolerance to un-air-conditioned space.

The K2 Public Housing development in Windsor, Victoria, is a benchmark for passive design that makes the most of natural forces to keep the interior of the buildings at a more consistent temperature, reducing the need for extra heating or cooling. Intelligent utilisation the location and the THERMOMASS insulation system for concrete sandwich panels means that the K2 apartments are a highly attractive, comfortable and energy-efficient place to live.

The THERMOMASS insulation system for concrete sandwich panel construction makes concrete make sense. Using a concrete sandwich panel puts the mass of the building on the inside of the thermal envelope, creating a significant heatsink on in the room. This, in combination with good elevation, angles and shading mean that the building is far more thermally efficient than conventional masonry, and in a completely different league to non-masonry structures.

What makes THERMOMASS different from other concrete sandwich panel systems is 30 years of application in the US, Australia, China and the Middle East. The fibre-composite connectors used in the THERMOMASS system have been specially designed and third-party tested for durability, strength and compatibility with concrete to prevent cracking and spalling. The THERMOMASS connector comes with a third party evaluation report (ESR-1748) which gives all stakeholders complete “peace of mind”. The last thing owners need is a panel that cracks and delaminates once the structure is up and the builder gone.

Call Composite Global Solutions to discuss your upcoming project and how THERMOMASS makes concrete make sense.

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