About Thermal Efficiency...

An analogy
The best way to understand the thermal efficiency of a Formworks home is to look at its thermal mass retention.

However, trying to compare insulation R-factors to thermal mass retention is somewhat like trying to compare the efficiency of electric cars to gas powered autos. You cannot just compare miles per gallon and get a meaningful comparison. Electric cars don't consume fossil fuel nor produce exhaust since their use of energy differs totally from a gas auto.

Because of this, one must acquire a bit deeper understanding of these two quite different technologies to truly comprehend the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of automobile.

The same holds true of Formworks homes. Comparing R-factors to thermal mass retention is about as easy as converting MPG to ampere/hours.

But comparing the actual results of performance can give you a good idea of the differences. For instance, my electric car may only do 40 miles per hour, but it costs a mere 1/2 a cent a mile to operate versus the 3 cents it costs by a gas powered car. And let's not forget the significantly lower production of harmful pollutants.

In the case of a Formworks Home, using traditional measurements of R-factor show it to have a poor rating. This is largely because earth is considered to be a poor insulator. Yet actual performance shows Formworks homes to be incredibly inexpensive to both heat and/or cool!

Why does just measuring R-factors fail to account for the excellent energy efficiency of a Formworks home? We need to also consider another more important factor: thermal mass.

Thermal Mass Retention
If you have ever felt how warm the stones around a campfire still are the morning after a cookout, you have encountered the effects of thermal mass. In short, it is the long term resistance to temperature change exhibited by a quantity of matter.

If you wish to delve further into the theory you can order our information kit, but the practical reality is undeniable. Just read the endorsements of the people who truly understand the power of thermal mass retention - our customers