Phase change materials integrated buildings: A short review

Abstract

Abstract Buildings account for one-third of global energy consumption and 38% of greenhouse gas emissions. Improving a building’s energy efficiency is vital in minimizing climate change. As an alternative to active cooling systems, passive cooling methods are promising. Thermal energy storage employing latent heat is an effective passive cooling strategy for increasing a building’s thermal inertia and, in turn, reducing temperature fluctuations and improving thermal comfort for building occupants. To do this, high-density phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy storage (TES) can be put to good use. Recent developments in TES techniques using PCMs have gained much research focus, primarily to improve energy efficiency and promote clean energy sources. PCMs are regarded as the most promising materials due to their high energy storage density for developing high-performance and energy-efficient buildings. The primary disadvantage of PCM is its low thermal conductivity, limiting its practical usage, which could be resolved by loading nano or micro-sized conductive fillers. The investigated system’s initial findings show that they effectively lower indoor temperature changes and energy demand during winter seasons and can cause load reduction or shifting.