Chapter 8 - Phase change materials applications in buildings

Abstract

Participation of buildings in global energy consumptions is significant and continuously growing. With the aim reducing building energy demand, various techniques have been applied to enhance building envelope thermal properties. The application of phase change materials (PCMs) in buildings have been found promising in improving overall building thermal performances. This chapter provides a state-of-the-art in applications of PCMs in buildings. Recent literature revealed that PCMs find application in building structure, building components, and separate modules for latent heat storage. It was found that PCMs in building structure such as walls, roofs, and floors significantly contribute in reducing building energy demand. The application of PCMs in glazed units such as translucent walls mainly contributes to reduce heat gains/losses, but have limited application due to reduced optical properties of solid state PCM.