Using Fly Ash in Cement Floor to Improve Solar Thermal Absorption

Fly Ash is a by-product of the coal burring process and is currently an excellent solution to sustainable cement manufacture. It is essentially the ash that collects in the smoke stack of a power plant. If incorporating into the home, it is important to confirm the levels of toxic elements in the fly ash is adherent to environmental standards. Rather than using new materials, the waste produced by coal burning is reduced by the recycling of the fly ash and less new cement needs to be mixed. The resulting floor will have a dark grey color and large thermal mass that is optimal for generating thermal energy from the sun. The optimal surrounding walls should be a light color such as studio white to promote efficient passive solar heating.