Basement Wood Stove and "Thermal Mass" of concrete walls

[Hokerer]

Nobody's talked of the floor. Does it pay to do something there? I'm thinking maybe an inch of foam board and something on top...

True 'dat. If you're looking to use the concrete in the basement as a thermal mass, whether for "passive solar" or "underground or earth-bermed" construction, the important this is to insulate the concrete on the outside. That includes the outside of the walls, underneath the floor slab, and even underneath and around the footers.

 

[precaud]

When I was learning heat transfer I found the easiest way to understand everything was just to equate it all to electricity. In reality, the two are so similar is silly!

It's actually amazing how many things can be pretty accurately reduced to circuit equivalents...