This applies to something as simple as a cup of hot coffee - a very hot cup will drop its first 10 degrees much faster than it will drop ten degrees when it's only lukewarm. The rate of heat loss increases as the temperature differential between two environments increases, and it does so in something of a bell curve.
This saved energy for one main reason - older houses weren't built anywhere close to the energy-efficiency standards of today, so maintaining a lower constant temperature during the day did in fact save a lot of energy, and for the following reason: Turning down thermostats to save energy:Ī lot of us grew up watching our parents turn thermostats down for the day and back up when returning home in the evening. Intentionally adding greater amounts of thermal mass in a building can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on a lot of factors, and there is no right answer as to whether or not it will benefit you specifically on a day-to-day basis. Materials in a home that act as thermal mass are things like concrete, masonry, ceramic tiles, even a large volume of wood like timber frames.
