Experimental results of a solar space heating system with PCM: Small-scale setup and real-scale setup

Abstract

Northern India receives considerable solar energy, while at the same time has a large demand for space heating. Solar space heating, combined with a thermal energy storage using PCM, could play a very important role in maintaining comfort conditions i.e. 15 ℃ to 20 ℃ in the cold regions where the temperature goes down to −15 ℃ to −20 ℃. This paper presents experimental results for using PCMs with transition temperature 22 ℃, 29 ℃, and 34 ℃, used for maintaining the comfort conditions, tested in a small-scale setup and a real-scale setup. The results show stabilization of the temperature of the test room, PCM type, and required PCM quantity.