Buildings
In cold climates, houses with their heating systems form dissipative systems, often resulting in a loss of energy (known colloquially as "Heat Bleed") that makes home interiors uncomfortably cool or cold.
For the comfort of the inhabitants, the interiors must be maintained out of thermal equilibrium with the external surroundings. In effect, these domestic residences are islands of warmth in a sea of cold, and the thermal gradient between the inside and outside is often quite steep. This can lead to problems such as condensation and uncomfortable air currents, which—if left unaddressed—can cause cosmetic or structural damage to the property.
Such issues can be prevented through the execution of an energy audit, and the implementation of recommended corrective procedures (such as the installation of adequate insulation, the air sealing of structural leaks, and the addition of energy-efficient windows and doors.
Thermal transmittance is the rate of transfer of heat through a structure divided by the difference in temperature across the structure. It is expressed in watts per square meter per kelvin, or W/m²K. Well-insulated parts of a building have a low thermal transmittance, whereas poorly-insulated parts of a building have a high thermal transmittance.
A thermostat is a device capable of starting the heating system when the house's interior falls below a set temperature, and of stopping that same system when another (higher) set temperature has been achieved. Thus, the thermostat controls the flow of energy into the house, that energy eventually being dissipated to the exterior.
Read more about this topic: Heat Transfer, Applications and Techniques, Heat Dissipation
Famous quotes containing the word buildings:
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—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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—Margaret Halsey (b. 1910)