Strategic design of PCM integrated burnt clay bricks: Potential for cost-cutting measures for air conditioning and carbon dioxide extenuation

Abstract

Globally, the energy demand of the building sector has increased intensely. The use of air conditioning in buildings for thermal comfort consumes a large percentage of this energy. The significant worldwide energy demand stresses the importance of net-zero or green buildings for a sustainable future. The present work investigates the air-conditioning cost-saving potential of the duplex house designed with various phase change materials (PCMs) incorporated burnt clay bricks. Five PCMs were selected, including three organic mixture PCMs (OM18, OM21, and OM29) and two form-stable PCMs (combination of organic and inorganic mixture). Besides, six different PCM arrangements in bricks (i.e. PCM layer on the outer side, on the middle layer, on the inner side, on the outer side and middle, on the middle and inner side, and on the outer side and inner side) are studied. The thermo-physical properties and latent heat of various PCMs (liquid and solid phases) were measured experimentally. The results showed that the duplex house with outer side PCM layer brick with OM29 PCM provides the best annual energy cost saving ($2079 in hot-arid climates and $2095 in composite climates), the highest carbon emission mitigations (87.80 ton-CO2/year in hot-arid climates and 88.42 ton-CO2/year in composite climates), and reasonable payback period (11.29 years in hot-arid climates and 11.21 years in composite climates).