article · Buildings
Buildings account for nearly a third of global energy consumption. Integrating phase change materials into building envelopes offers a passive method to cut energy use and carbon emissions. Using building thermal simulation software, the performance of phase change materials in external or internal south walls and roofs was evaluated across four Mediterranean climate conditions. The evaluation examined variations in melting temperature, layer thickness, envelope type, layer placement, and single versus double-layer arrangements. The findings reveal that tailored applications can achieve up to a 41.6 per cent reduction in overall energy demand. Materials with lower melting points around 21 degrees Celsius primarily assist heating energy reduction, whereas those with melting points around 29 degrees Celsius enhance cooling energy savings. Furthermore, employing double-layer configurations delivers superior energy reductions over single-layer designs, particularly in warm and arid locations.
Heating and cooling buildings consume large amounts of energy worldwide and drive greenhouse gas emissions. Demonstrating how passive thermal storage materials can be configured according to local climate conditions shows practical ways to design more energy-efficient structures. This approach helps lower utility demands and cut carbon footprints without requiring complex mechanical systems.
This research informs building envelope designers, architects, and manufacturers of insulation and construction materials seeking passive thermal regulation solutions. Because the findings are based entirely on thermal simulations using EnergyPlus, the technology is at an early, analytical stage of development. Moving towards commercial deployment will require physical fabrication, testing in operational buildings, and validation across varied construction materials.
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Energy conservation in buildings has been the focus of many studies since nearly one-third of global energy consumption is due to buildings. Phase change material (PCM) technology promises to be an attractive solution for energy saving in buildings since it is a passive and effective technology, as demonstrated in the literature. Therefore, this study focuses on the energy-saving performance of PCM-integrated buildings located in a Mediterranean climate to reveal their energy-saving potential. PCM is integrated both in external or internal south walls and roofs of buildings under four different climatic conditions. EnergyPlus, which is a well-known building simulation software, is adopted for building thermal analyses. The effects of melting temperature, location of PCM layer in the wall, thickness of PCM layer, type of envelope (wall or roof), and PCM double-layer system in the wall are investigated. The corresponding energy savings and CO2 emission reductions are obtained for the considered cases. The results showed that up to 41.6% reduction in energy demand can be obtained depending on the PCM application. Besides, PCM with a low melting temperature (21 °C) favored heating energy savings, while PCM with a high melting temperature (29 °C) favored cooling energy savings. Moreover, the double-layer PCM system provided higher energy savings than the single-layer PCM system, especially in warm and arid regions (Sousse and Tozeur).
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DOI: 10.3390/buildings13030806
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