Thermo Active Building Systems Using Building Mass To Heat and Cool

Using the thermal storage capacity of the concrete slabs between each floor in multistory buildings to heat or cool is a trend that began in the early 1990s in Switzerland.1,2 Pipes carrying water for heating and cooling are embedded in the center of the concrete slab. In central Europe (Germany, Austria, Netherlands, etc.), this type of system has been installed in a significant number of new office buildings since the late 1990s.

The trend is spreading to other parts of the world (the rest of Europe, North America and Asia).