Some people say not to have pavement on the south side of a house and others say it works as an energy-efficient thermal mass. Which is correct and what does thermal mass mean?
You don’t want to put non-permeable, unshaded pavement on the south side of your house because in the summer it will heat up and reflect that heat indoors. However, an area of rock or concrete, which is shaded in summer and exposed in winter, can act as a beneficial thermal mass, radiating heat into your home in the winter and cool air in the summer. A thermal mass can also be water or any other material that will absorb heat and coolness. Proper use of a thermal mass is an important passive heating and cooling technique. Thermal mass stores heat in the winter to release in the evening and works in reverse in the summer. The mass cools down in the evening and retains that coolness the next day, moderating the effects of high daytime temperatures.
