Energy analysis and simulation of PCM‐enhanced building envelopes in commercial buildings: A case study

Abstract

AbstractIntegrating phase change materials (PCMs) into the building envelopes is considered a promising solution to reduce the energy consumption in buildings. These materials, acting as thermal energy storage systems, delay the heat transfer from the building to out or in for several hours. The present research investigates the effect of PCM employed in the building envelopes on the building's energy‐saving. For this purpose, the central office building of the University of Torbat Heydarieh is simulated as the case study using DesignBuilder software in climatic conditions of East of Iran (dry climate with hot summer and cold winter). All materials are defined in the software, and a dynamic thermal model is developed to simulate the thermal loads of the building. The energy consumption of the building for cold seasons (from October to March) is simulated for the two scenarios of with and without PCM. The effect of the melting point is also investigated by considering three types of PCMs with different melting temperatures. After choosing the proper PCM according to weather conditions for this building, the effect of different combinations of PCMs applied to the south wall of the building on the reduction of the total energy consumption is investigated.