What cooling method uses thermal mass to store heat during the day and release it at night?

The cooling method that uses thermal mass to store heat during the day and release it at night is radiative cooling. This approach takes advantage of materials with high thermal mass, such as concrete or stone, which absorb heat from the environment during the daytime. When temperatures drop at night, these materials can release the stored heat back into the cooler night air, facilitating a natural cooling effect.

In architectural and environmental design, radiative cooling is particularly effective in climates with significant temperature differentials between day and night. It minimizes the need for mechanical cooling systems, which can lead to energy savings and a more sustainable building practice. Radiative cooling also works well in combination with other passive design strategies, enhancing overall building comfort without relying on active cooling methods.

Other methods, such as evaporative cooling, focus on the process of moisture evaporation to cool the air, while passive solar cooling leverages natural airflow and shading techniques to reduce indoor temperatures. Conductive cooling typically involves heat transfer through solid materials and is less reliant on the ambient temperature variations that radiative cooling capitalizes on. Because of their distinct mechanisms, these other methods do not primarily utilize thermal mass in the same way that radiative cooling does.