A multi-level modelling and evaluation of thermal performance of phase change materials in buildings
Journal article, 2014

Integration of phase-change materials (PCMs) in building envelopes is a way to enhance heat storage capacity of buildings and thereby to rationalize the use of energy for heating and cooling of buildings. This work presents a numerical model of a building envelope with PCMs, verifications of the model according to a normative benchmark and measurements and a tentative case study that exemplifies the effects of such a building envelope on the thermal performance of a whole building. Simulations have been carried out using a modular environment of the International Building Physics Toolbox in Simulink®. As for the effects of PCMs in buildings, it is concluded that they are rather case sensitive; in the tentative case study, the annual savings of total energy for heating and cooling vary between 5% and 21%, depending mainly on the thermal comfort and the placement of PCM in the building envelope.

PCM

whole buildings

thermal storage

Simulink®

IBPT library

modular programmes

Author

Angela Sasic Kalagasidis

Chalmers, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Building Technology

Journal of Building Performance Simulation

1940-1493 (ISSN) 19401507 (eISSN)

Vol. 7 4 289-308

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Areas of Advance

Building Futures (2010-2018)

Roots

Basic sciences

Subject Categories

Building Technologies

DOI

10.1080/19401493.2013.764547

More information

Latest update

10/29/2019