13 - Life cycle assessment (LCA) of phase change materials (PCMs) used in buildings

Abstract

Phase change materials (PCMs) have been studied for thermal storage in buildings since the 1980s. These systems provide a higher thermal inertia to the building that, when combined with thermal insulation, can reduce the energy consumption of the building by absorbing the heat gains and reducing the heat flow. Due to the high embodied energy of PCMs, a life cycle assessment study would allow us to determine whether the reduction of the operational impact can balance out the impact produced during the manufacturing and disposal of the PCM and the encapsulation.