Exploring the potential of phase change material for thermal energy storage in building envelopes

Buildings, with their significant energy consumption, pose a pressing concern for the future. Inadequate heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems further exacerbate thermal management difficulties and energy requirements. To address these challenges, Phase Change Materials (PCMs) offer valuable potential for sustainable energy reduction within the building sector, leveraging passive cooling and heating techniques. Numerical study has been conducted to explore the impact of embedding PCM within the building envelope on energy efficiency and thermal performance. The results reveal that PCM integration significantly reduces temperatures across all sections compared to scenarios without PCM. By passively absorbing and storing heat energy during phase change, PCM mitigates heat transfer through convection and conduction, leading to improved energy efficiency and reduced power consumption for cooling and heating purposes. Within the first 2 hours, the PCM achieves 50% of its average melting process, followed by a gradual decrease in the melting rate. It takes approximately 6 hours for the PCM to completely melt. As the PCM undergoes the melting process, the system's entropy values increase, reflecting an increase in disorder. At the tip of the building, the entropy value reaches 130 K/kg·K, which is more than three times the initial value. The integration of PCM in building envelopes shows promising potential for enhancing energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and durability. Future research should focus on optimizing PCM placement and configuration to maximize its benefits in diverse building designs and climatic conditions.