Experimental Study on Phase Change Material with Solar Heater System for Building Heating

Abstract

An integrated solar heating system with a new type of phase change material (PCM), solar collectors and test building were developed. The exothermal and endothermal behaviors of the PCM were determined, and the stability and comfort of the solar heating system were researched. The integrated solar heating system was operated on the test building heating for one heating period, and the temperature of heating rooms, the outdoors, and the contrast rooms were recorded and collected by a data acquisition system. The collected temperature data indicated that the integrated solar heating system with PCM could produce heating stability and continuity; the average temperature of the heating rooms using PCM was 4.6 °C higher than the contrast rooms, which did not use PCM. Taking 16 °C as the lowest standard room temperature, the integrated solar heating system could save approximately 45% of energy during one heating period. The successful development of an integrated solar heating system, coupled with phase change materials and solar collectors for building heating will lay a solid foundation for achieving the goals of building energy conservation and “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”.