Thermal-electrical comprehensive performance of a photovoltaic Trombe wall with dual-layer phase change materials and fins

Comparative analysis of thermal efficiency for thermochromic Trombe wall in heating and cooling seasons

A novel PCM-heat pipe composite trombe wall for summer thermal performance optimization

Application potential study of semi-transparent photovoltaic glass Trombe wall in Northwest China

Rapid prediction and optimization of Trombe wall design for rural houses using machine learning in China's climate zones

Experimental study on the effect of the ventilation and operation mode on the thermal efficiency of a full-scale Trombe wall under real operating conditions

Spectrally beam-splitting louvers with fresnel optics for enhanced PV–trombe wall performance

Photovoltaic Trombe wall system: Multi-functional performance, optimization parameters, and evolutionary insights–A comprehensive review

Nowadays, proper determination of the thermal efficiency of new building envelope solutions focusing on energy efficiency is vital for effective energy management. Determining the thermal efficiency of thermal storage (Trombe) wall modified with phase change material (TWPCM) is challenging, and its inaccurate estimation may lead to unnecessary waste of resources, failures, and financial losses. The aim of this work is to develop a reliable deep learning prediction model to determine the thermal efficiency of the TWPCM. The performance of the proposed Convolutional Neural Network combined with Long Short-Term Memory (CNN + LSTM) was compared with seven other developed machine learning models. Eight input variables were used: outdoor air-dry bulb temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, total solar radiation intensity on the horizontal surface, direct solar radiation intensity on the horizontal surface, and time of day and year. Input variables from the last 240 h were input data for the models. A model consisting of 4 LSTM layers, 5 CNN layers joined together with fully connected layers was used. The models were trained, tested, and validated in the data set from real-world energy performance data. The CNN + LSTM model was found to outperform the other models with the highest determination coefficient (0.99891) and the lowest mean absolute error (0.19188 W/m2) and root mean square error (0.26324 W/m2). The results show that the proposed deep learning model (1) effectively predicts the thermal behavior of TWPCMs by taking into account heat storage capacity of phase change materials, (2) has very good generalization ability verified on a new data set, (3) enables comparison of results with other building envelopes under typical conditions, e.g. in relation to a Typical Meteorological Year (TMY), by forecasting using weather data from a TMY, and (4) enables a reduction in the time required for direct testing, thus reducing the cost of the analysis.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-26886-1.

Given that building energy consumption accounts for a significant portion of total energy consumption, passive building technologies have demonstrated tremendous potential in addressing energy crises and the greenhouse effect. As a passive building technology, the Trombe wall (TW) can utilize solar energy to enhance building energy efficiency. However, due to their reliance on direct solar radiation patterns and limited thermal inertia characteristics, traditional TW systems exhibit inherent efficiency limitations. By integrating phase change materials (PCMs), TW systems can achieve high thermal storage performance and temperature control flexibility within a narrow temperature gradient range. By integrating functional materials, PCM-TW systems can be made multifunctional (e.g., through thermal catalysts for air purification). This has significant engineering implications. Therefore, this paper systematically reviews the development timeline of TWs, focusing on the evolution of PCM-TW technology and its performance. Based on this, the paper particularly emphasizes the roles of three key operational parameters: structural characteristics, thermophysical material design, and operational management. Importantly, through comparative analysis of existing systems, this paper identifies the shortcomings of current PCM-TW systems and proposes future improvement directions based on the review results.

Abstract Museums consume a disproportionately high amount of operational energy in comparison to other public buildings. To mitigate greenhouse gas emissions the building sector in general focuses on reduced operational energy demand by energy efficient building skins in combination with ventilation systems to reduce heat losses. The Trombe wall, developed in 1956, reduces the heating demand by passive storage of solar thermal energy. In this research, a Trombe wall construction is analysed, simulated and optimised for the exhibition area of the future ‘Museum for the prehistoric man of Mauer’. The operational energy savings are compared to grey energy demands. Based on a literature review, the indoor climate requirements for exhibition spaces are identified as a central challenge for this application. In addition, case study buildings are analysed in order to compile current passive and suitable energy concepts, building materials and products regarding a museum application. The thermal performance of varying constructions is evaluated through thermal-dynamic simulations using ‘IDA ICE’ to develop an operating mode of the Trombe wall that utilises thermal radiation and ensures hygienic air exchange by means of fans between the Trombe wall and the exhibition room. The optimised wall structure consists of thermal insulation glazing placed 15cm in front of a dark rammed earth wall. External sun protection is indispensable to maintain the maximum temperature in accordance with the German Museums Association. However, the required indoor climate corridor for a museum cannot be achieved permanently - yet in comparison with a central ventilation system, the reduction in operational energy is up to 43%. The life cycle assessment reveals that the environmental impact mainly depends on the production of the mullion-transom facade. Overall, the Trombe wall represents an ecological and innovative energy concept for the anthropological museum and offers scope for further research.

Abstract Building interior thermal mass is known to be a potential energy storage medium for thermal comfort regulation or for electrical demand-shifting. Building exterior thermal mass, such as the solar-facing trombe wall, is known to be a potential store of solar heat gain, a source for night-time convective and radiative cooling, and a driver of buoyancy-driven ventilation. For such functions to be reliably harnessed in both building interior and exterior thermal mass, however, the flow of thermal energy through this mass must be more reliably controlled, due to the well-documented risk of over-heating or over-cooling. Research in this field is largely confined to digital simulations and small-scale prototypes, and lacks building-scale physical validation. We seek to fill this gap by presenting a four-month study of a full scale, actively used residence containing a poorly functioning trombe wall. Our dataset contains three unoccupied multi-week periods of experimental manipulation, which we analyze to demonstrate that active solar shading, night-time forced ventilation, glass wall openings, airflow damper position, and building windows are parameters that can be used to control the capacitance of the trombe wall. We demonstrate with an energy model that the resulting thermal comfort delivery comes with a reduction in building operational energy expense. This progress shows that with further research, the parameters can be developed into a thermal-mass energy-control system and turn uncomfortable building structures into thermally enjoyable living spaces. Critically, this would contribute to household-scale energy savings, and to grid-scale resilience in the face of a changing climate.

A catalytic Trombe wall with thermochromic hydrogel: experimental and numerical study

Numerical investigation of a novel photo-thermal synergetic catalytic Trombe wall

Assessment of the thermophysical, mechanical and structural properties of the natural zeolites-perlite composite plates for an enhanced Trombe wall application

Thermal phenomena sit at the heart of today’s most important sustainability challenges, producing clean water, maintaining healthy indoor climates, valorizing biomass, and balancing increasingly variable power grids. This review synthesizes state-of-the-art advances across materials, devices, buildings, and energy systems to outline an integrated research agenda for the energy–water–environment nexus. We highlight photothermal platforms for desalination and wastewater treatment, including macroporous three-dimensional MXene architectures with high broadband absorption and near-complete contaminant rejection, a nature-inspired “suspended” evaporator that resists salt accumulation even in 15–20 wt% brines, and scaling-mitigating slippery membranes for robust membrane distillation (Lan, Wood, & Yuen, 2019), (Zhao et al., 2019), (Islam et al., 2020). For the built environment, we analyze optimization of phase-change Trombe walls, localized solid-state humidity pumping, evidence-based thermal comfort indices, and holistic multi-objective design of net-zero energy housing in the tropics (Zhang et al., 2022; Tumuluru, Ghiasi, Soelberg, & Sokhansanj, 2021), (Luo et al., 2021; Mani et al., 2023). On the supply side, we assess rapid load transitions in solid-oxide-fuel-cell–gas-turbine hybrids, optimization-driven power-flow management, and thermal-pollution constraints on water-cooled generation (Staiger, Laschewski, & Matzarakis, 2019),(Zhu et al., 2021; Li, Hua, Tu, & Wang, 2019). Finally, we connect circular carbon strategies torrefaction and biochar to both energy quality and environmental remediation (Karanikola, Boo, Rolf, & Elimelech, 2018), (Miara et al., 2018). We conclude with cross-cutting gaps in durability, field validation, and multi-scale modeling, and propose harmonized metrics and standardized protocols to accelerate translation. All citations derive from the user-provided corpus.

Enhancing building energy efficiency using a hybrid Trombe wall with PV and reflective mirrors

Optimization of a multi-generation renewable energy supply system for a net-zero energy building with PCM-integrated Trombe wall

With rising energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂) optimizing fossil fuel use and improving passive heating/cooling systems in buildings has become crucial. Trombe walls, as a sustainable solar heating solution, can significantly reduce energy demand by storing and releasing heat effectively. This study investigates the influence of thermal storage wall materials on the performance of Trombe wall systems through numerical analysis. Different multi-layer wall configurations incorporating brick, adobe, stone, and plaster-concrete-insulation composites were evaluated under varying solar radiation conditions (100-620 W/m²) over an 8-hour period (9 AM-5 PM). Results demonstrate that brick-based walls achieved superior room temperature regulation (21.25 °C vs. 20.53 °C for adobe at 620 W/m²), with thermal resistance proving more critical than material thickness. Comparative analysis revealed that plaster-concrete-insulation walls outperformed traditional materials in heating efficiency. Additionally, the study examined modified heat transfer equations for air ducts, finding that existing theoretical models (15.12 °C prediction at 11 AM) aligned more closely with experimental data (17.5 °C) than the proposed modifications (14.06 °C). The study provides clear design principles for Trombe wall optimization: prioritizing thermal-resistant materials (e.g., brick, insulated composites) over thickness and using validated heat transfer models. These insights enable more effective passive heating systems that lower energy demands in buildings. By implementing these strategies, construction professionals can significantly improve thermal performance while contributing to climate change mitigation through reduced carbon footprints.

Thermal performance analysis of a double-channel phase change slurry Trombe wall with seasonal switching, solar energy storage and utilization