[EnergyPlus_Support] Btu Of Basement Concrete?

["greenenergyproject" <danieljackson@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

My question is simple.  I am wanting to know if the Btu per pound of concrete is treated the same as that for a pound of water?  ~ Where 1 Btu = 1 Lb water * 1 degree F.  I have been assuming that the Btu is per pound of concrete is the same as it is for water.  

I have been using the formula for water with my basement concrete thermal mass.  To study the cold thermal energy of basement concrete, for an application I want to model in the future with SketchUp / OpenStudio / EnergyPlus.  Which is a low energy heat removal scheme.  Relying upon cold geo thermal energy in the concrete to suck up ground floor heat sent down to the basement, via the 2cd Law Of Thermodynamics.  I compute with a calculator.  That I can dump several kilo watt of ground level floor space heat into an uninsulated portion of a basement.  Using the above Btu formula for lbs of water.

Please note that I am not wanting to know anything about the R factor of concrete, I know that.  

~ My application and design concept for this is below.

(Note I mostly crunch numbers with a calculator.  And am fairly new to OpenStudio and EnergyPlus.   And have not dealt with the concept of the Btu of concrete, only the R factor.)

The concept I am working on.  Solves several other problems with a green building design.  Of which we can better insulate the basement floor.  If it is built over a crawl space.  Where we build a conventional wood framed floor that is insulated with R 19 or higher fiberglass insulation.  In addition we can easily ventilate moisture out of the crawl space along with radon gas.  However the main advantage is the ability to make the basement more energy efficient than the ground floor spaces.  Since the Btu losses of the basement are relative to the geo thermal temperature of the concrete mass of the basement.  Where we have a conventional floor that is insulated and held high above the moisture that concrete contains.  Keeping the wood dry and safe from mold.  Likewise the crawl space air volume also provides us with a volume of air to exchange via a heat recovery ventilator.  With the same volume of air from the ground floor space.  The two volumes of air being kept separate via the ventilator.  Means that we are not moving moisture or radon gas into the living spaces.  Note that if the crawl space is 4 feet high, and of the same floor space as the ground floor space.  Then we have 1/2 the volume of air in the crawl space as that of the ground floor space.  Which represents allot of potential in terms of heat gain removal.

The limiting factor to the system.  Is reached when the two volumes of air reach the same temperature during the exchange process.  At which point the ventilator is switched off.  Which can be done via thermal sensor means.  Small low energy fans in the crawl space.  Can move the hotter air at the top of the crawl space.  Downwards upon the concrete floor and walls.  To aid in the removal of the heat in the air.  Via moving the air across the concrete, and so making more contact with it.  The amount of energy used.  Is far less than that of the central air conditioner.

The concept is interesting when you work some numbers with the Btu of the concrete mass at lets say 55F.  And the air volume of the crawl space.  Where you use 0.018 Btu per degree F per cubic foot of air, when looking at the heat recovery ventilator performance.  (Providing I have the right air Btu figures from Internet search information.)

~ I want to remove the heat gain from home appliances such as refrigerators and freezers to the crawl space.  Removing the heat load from the central air conditioner.  Once the heat is removed to the crawl space.  It can never re enter the ground floor space.  And is removed into the ground.  By renewable cold geo thermal energy.  The concept is simple.  Uses low electrical energy.  As well as renewable energy (geo thermal) and should last a lifetime.  And the level of heat removal in kilo watts means that the concept should pay for itself during its lifetime or before.  And is initially covered in the home owner loan.  Since it is a feature of the original construction.  And should qualify as renewable energy (of the geo thermal kind) in terms of tax credits for such.

The main thing is that it should help lower the monthly energy cost.  And I want to have a building whjo's energy cost should never come about to compete with the monthly home owner loan. When the price of fuel on the market goes high.  And this should be realized if solar space heating panels are used.  To provide some thermal energy input during the winter months.

My original schooling is in electrical engineering.  And so, I am wanting to tackle means to remove various energy loads from such things as the air conditioner.  As well as add energy via such means as solar space heating panels.

I have a Google SketchUp illustration of the above in the post at the below link.  You have to go on down in the post to find the graphics.

http://www.wncgreenbuilding.com/forums/viewthread/15076/



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