Abstract
Utilizing renewable energy in buildings is important for the development of zero-energy buildings to achieve the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. A novel roof with a pipe-embedded phase change material (PE-PCM) integrated with a solar collector is proposed to fully utilize solar energy and improve building efficiency. The PE-PCM layer is attached to the inner side of the roof for effective utilization of solar energy and enables all-day indoor heating via thermal storage. In this study, a simplified model of a PE-PCM structure was developed based on its physical configuration, which included a variable thermal capacitance and thermal resistance model (VarRC model). The simplified PE-PCM roof model integrated with the VarRC model is validated using a numerical model. Additionally, a platform for a room with the PE-PCM roof and solar collector is developed to investigate the system performance. The results showed that the heating demand can be met, except under extreme weather conditions. When the indoor temperature is controlled above 17 °C by auxiliary heating, the total energy required for heating the room with the PE-PCM roof can be reduced by 54% compared to that of a conventional roof room.
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