Comments on: What are good ideas for thermal energy conservation? http://www.energy--talk.com/alternative-energy/what-are-good-ideas-for-thermal-energy-conservation/81/ How Can We Be More Energy Efficient? Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:43:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Melissa M. http://www.energy--talk.com/alternative-energy/what-are-good-ideas-for-thermal-energy-conservation/81/#comment-165 Melissa M. Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:03:24 +0000 http://www.energy--talk.com/alternative-energy/what-are-good-ideas-for-thermal-energy-conservation/81/#comment-165 I don't know what you're conserving thermal energy for--but let's call it a box (could be a house, chicken coop, you--be imaginative). In order to perfectly prevent this box from radiating thermal energy into the environment, we can make our box double-walled with a vacuum separating the walls. This means that the excited molecules inside the box react with the inner wall, but then have nothing to excite and transfer energy to after that because there are no molecules in a vacuum. Perfect insulation. In a less perfect world, we can change the vacuum to air, cotton, or other airy fiber--even straw works. I don’t know what you’re conserving thermal energy for–but let’s call it a box (could be a house, chicken coop, you–be imaginative).

In order to perfectly prevent this box from radiating thermal energy into the environment, we can make our box double-walled with a vacuum separating the walls. This means that the excited molecules inside the box react with the inner wall, but then have nothing to excite and transfer energy to after that because there are no molecules in a vacuum. Perfect insulation.

In a less perfect world, we can change the vacuum to air, cotton, or other airy fiber–even straw works.

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