Adaption of Phase Change Materials into Educational Buildings to Improve Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort

Abstract

Globally, the rate at which buildings consume energy and resources has been steadily rising. Phase change materials hold great promise for stabilizing indoor temperature fluctuations and enhancing thermal comfort in contemporary buildings. This work examines the effects of using PCM technology in educational buildings in Egypt. Using Energy Plus, the faculty of engineering building at the British University Campus was modelled as a typical educational building for this study. This study provides a thorough analysis of the application of PCMs in buildings to raise thermal comfort levels and lower energy usage. To uncover the energy-saving potential of PCM-integrated buildings in arid tropical regions, the study emphasizes the energy-saving performance. Under hot weather, PCMs are integrated into a building's roof and south façade, both inside and externally. For building thermal comfort analyses and energy performance, the building simulation program Energy Plus was used. For the cases under consideration, the corresponding reductions in CO2 emissions, improve thermal comfort, and energy savings are obtained. The result shows that, depending on the PCM application, a reduction in energy demands up to 85% could be achieved.