IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v301y2021ics0306261921008552.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Parametric study of solid-solid translucent phase change materials in building windows

Author

Listed:
  • Gao, Yuan
  • Zheng, Qiye
  • Jonsson, Jacob C.
  • Lubner, Sean
  • Curcija, Charlie
  • Fernandes, Luis
  • Kaur, Sumanjeet
  • Kohler, Christian

Abstract

Thermal energy storage and solar radiation management are crucial to improve the sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings. Compared with the implementation of phase change materials (PCMs) in opaque components, the energy saving potential of incorporating PCMs in transparent glazing windows is much less studied and not well understood. Here we present a comprehensive parametric study of novel PCM windows for building energy saving with a focus on optimizing and quantitatively distinguishing the contributions from the optical and thermal properties of the PCM, which is particularly useful for the design of solid-solid PCM windows. We investigate a reference commercial office building using EnergyPlus by developing an equivalent model of our PCM window that is compatible with EnergyPlus’s modeling capabilities. Compared with a clear-clear double-pane window, the integration of 3 mm solid-solid PCMs with optimal properties in warm, mixed, and cold climates can respectively save up to 17.2%, 14.0%, and 5.8% energy for the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system, and 9.4%, 6.7%, and 3.2% energy for the whole building. We also demonstrate that these energy savings are most sensitive to the solar absorptance of PCMs for all three climates. The optimal transition temperature varies with climate and is related to the climate and solar radiation heat gain. Other issues are also briefly discussed, such as hysteresis, window orientations, and the effect of interior lighting. Although the optimal PCM windows show energy saving performance comparable with low-emissivity windows, the PCM windows provide a unique advantage in terms of shifting HVAC loads which can provide benefits to the electrical grid.

Suggested Citation

  • Gao, Yuan & Zheng, Qiye & Jonsson, Jacob C. & Lubner, Sean & Curcija, Charlie & Fernandes, Luis & Kaur, Sumanjeet & Kohler, Christian, 2021. "Parametric study of solid-solid translucent phase change materials in building windows," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:301:y:2021:i:c:s0306261921008552
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117467
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261921008552
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117467?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abden, Md Jaynul & Tao, Zhong & Pan, Zhu & George, Laurel & Wuhrer, Richard, 2020. "Inclusion of methyl stearate/diatomite composite in gypsum board ceiling for building energy conservation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    2. Aburas, Marina & Soebarto, Veronica & Williamson, Terence & Liang, Runqi & Ebendorff-Heidepriem, Heike & Wu, Yupeng, 2019. "Thermochromic smart window technologies for building application: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    3. Akeiber, Hussein & Nejat, Payam & Majid, Muhd Zaimi Abd. & Wahid, Mazlan A. & Jomehzadeh, Fatemeh & Zeynali Famileh, Iman & Calautit, John Kaiser & Hughes, Ben Richard & Zaki, Sheikh Ahmad, 2016. "A review on phase change material (PCM) for sustainable passive cooling in building envelopes," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 1470-1497.
    4. Drissi, Sarra & Ling, Tung-Chai & Mo, Kim Hung & Eddhahak, Anissa, 2019. "A review of microencapsulated and composite phase change materials: Alteration of strength and thermal properties of cement-based materials," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 467-484.
    5. Fan, Liwu & Khodadadi, J.M., 2011. "Thermal conductivity enhancement of phase change materials for thermal energy storage: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 24-46, January.
    6. Cabeza, L.F. & Castell, A. & Barreneche, C. & de Gracia, A. & Fernández, A.I., 2011. "Materials used as PCM in thermal energy storage in buildings: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 1675-1695, April.
    7. Silva, Tiago & Vicente, Romeu & Amaral, Cláudia & Figueiredo, António, 2016. "Thermal performance of a window shutter containing PCM: Numerical validation and experimental analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 64-84.
    8. Benjamin Durakovic & Muris Torlak, 2017. "Experimental and numerical study of a PCM window model as a thermal energy storage unit," International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(3), pages 272-280.
    9. Hu, Yue & Guo, Rui & Heiselberg, Per Kvols, 2020. "Performance and control strategy development of a PCM enhanced ventilated window system by a combined experimental and numerical study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 134-152.
    10. Ilaria Vigna & Lorenza Bianco & Francesco Goia & Valentina Serra, 2018. "Phase Change Materials in Transparent Building Envelopes: A Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, January.
    11. Mostafa Ahmed & Ali Radwan & Ahmed Serageldin & Saim Memon & Takao Katsura & Katsunori Nagano, 2020. "Thermal Analysis of a New Sliding Smart Window Integrated with Vacuum Insulation, Photovoltaic, and Phase Change Material," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-21, September.
    12. Lee, Kyoung Ok & Medina, Mario A. & Raith, Erik & Sun, Xiaoqin, 2015. "Assessing the integration of a thin phase change material (PCM) layer in a residential building wall for heat transfer reduction and management," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 699-706.
    13. Zhongyong Wang & Zhen Tong & Qinxian Ye & Hang Hu & Xiao Nie & Chen Yan & Wen Shang & Chengyi Song & Jianbo Wu & Jun Wang & Hua Bao & Peng Tao & Tao Deng, 2017. "Dynamic tuning of optical absorbers for accelerated solar-thermal energy storage," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, December.
    14. Bin Sun & Olivier Ouellette & F. Pelayo García de Arquer & Oleksandr Voznyy & Younghoon Kim & Mingyang Wei & Andrew H. Proppe & Makhsud I. Saidaminov & Jixian Xu & Mengxia Liu & Peicheng Li & James Z., 2018. "Multibandgap quantum dot ensembles for solar-matched infrared energy harvesting," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-7, December.
    15. Saffari, Mohammad & de Gracia, Alvaro & Ushak, Svetlana & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2017. "Passive cooling of buildings with phase change materials using whole-building energy simulation tools: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1239-1255.
    16. Peng, Jinqing & Lu, Lin & Wang, Meng, 2019. "A new model to evaluate solar spectrum impacts on the short circuit current of solar photovoltaic modules," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 29-37.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yan, Peiliang & Fan, Weijun & Yang, Yan & Ding, Hongbing & Arshad, Adeel & Wen, Chuang, 2022. "Performance enhancement of phase change materials in triplex-tube latent heat energy storage system using novel fin configurations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 327(C).
    2. Refaa, Zakariaa & Hofmann, Anna & Castro, Marcial Fernandez & Hernandez, Jessica O. & Wang, Zhihang & Hölzel, Helen & Andreasen, Jens Wenzel & Moth-Poulsen, Kasper & Kalagasidis, Angela Sasic, 2022. "Thermo-optical performance of molecular solar thermal energy storage films," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).
    3. Yang, Xinpeng & Li, Dong & Yang, Ruitong & Ma, Yuxin & Duan, Yanjiao & Zhang, Chengjun & Hu, Wanyu & Arıcı, Müslüm, 2023. "Parameter global optimization and climatic adaptability analysis of PCM glazed system for long-term application," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    4. Wang, Guangpeng & Ma, Yuxin & Zhang, Shu & Li, Dong & Hu, Rong & Zhou, Yingming, 2023. "Thermal performance of a novel double-glazed window combining PCM and solar control glass in summer," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 219(P1).
    5. Hossein Arasteh & Wahid Maref & Hamed H. Saber, 2024. "3D Numerical Modeling to Assess the Energy Performance of Solid–Solid Phase Change Materials in Glazing Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-24, July.
    6. Yan, Peiliang & Fan, Weijun & Han, Yu & Ding, Hongbing & Wen, Chuang & Elbarghthi, Anas F.A. & Yang, Yan, 2023. "Leaf-vein bionic fin configurations for enhanced thermal energy storage performance of phase change materials in smart heating and cooling systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 346(C).
    7. Liu, Zu-An & Hou, Jiawen & Chen, Yu & Liu, Zaiqiang & Zhang, Tao & Zeng, Qian & Dewancker, Bart Julien & Meng, Xi & Jiang, Guanzhao, 2023. "Effectiveness assessment of different kinds/configurations of phase-change materials (PCM) for improving the thermal performance of lightweight building walls in summer and winter," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 721-735.
    8. Hossein Arasteh & Wahid Maref & Hamed H. Saber, 2023. "Energy and Thermal Performance Analysis of PCM-Incorporated Glazing Units Combined with Passive and Active Techniques: A Review Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-42, January.
    9. Li, Zhibin & Huang, Wenbo & Chen, Juanwen & Cen, Jiwen & Cao, Wenjiong & Li, Feng & Jiang, Fangming, 2023. "An enhanced super-long gravity heat pipe geothermal system: Conceptual design and numerical study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    10. Li, Chunying & Tang, Haida, 2024. "Phase change material window for dynamic energy flow regulation: Review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    11. Ke, Wei & Ji, Jie & Zhang, Chengyan & Song, Zhiying & Wang, Chuyao & Xie, Hao & Tian, Xinyi, 2024. "Performance analysis of a novel hybrid CdTe-PCM multi-layer ventilated window system for building application: An experimental and numerical study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    12. Cibele Eller & Mohamad Rida & Katharina Boudier & Caio Otoni & Gabriela Celani & Lucila Labaki & Sabine Hoffmann, 2021. "Climate-Based Analysis for the Potential Use of Coconut Oil as Phase Change Material in Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-20, September.
    13. Kai Jiao & Lin Lu & Liang Zhao & Gang Wang, 2024. "Towards Passive Building Thermal Regulation: A State-of-the-Art Review on Recent Progress of PCM-Integrated Building Envelopes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-27, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Chunying & Tang, Haida, 2024. "Phase change material window for dynamic energy flow regulation: Review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    2. Zeinelabdein, Rami & Omer, Siddig & Gan, Guohui, 2018. "Critical review of latent heat storage systems for free cooling in buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2843-2868.
    3. Wijesuriya, Sajith & Brandt, Matthew & Tabares-Velasco, Paulo Cesar, 2018. "Parametric analysis of a residential building with phase change material (PCM)-enhanced drywall, precooling, and variable electric rates in a hot and dry climate," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 497-514.
    4. Li, Yilin & Darkwa, Jo & Kokogiannakis, Georgios & Su, Weiguang, 2019. "Phase change material blind system for double skin façade integration: System development and thermal performance evaluation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    5. Huang, Xiang & Alva, Guruprasad & Jia, Yuting & Fang, Guiyin, 2017. "Morphological characterization and applications of phase change materials in thermal energy storage: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 128-145.
    6. Faraj, Khaireldin & Khaled, Mahmoud & Faraj, Jalal & Hachem, Farouk & Castelain, Cathy, 2020. "Phase change material thermal energy storage systems for cooling applications in buildings: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    7. Anatoliy M. Pavlenko & Karolina Sadko, 2023. "Evaluation of Numerical Methods for Predicting the Energy Performance of Windows," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-23, February.
    8. Dubey, Abhayjeet kumar & Sun, Jingyi & Choudhary, Tushar & Dash, Madhusmita & Rakshit, Dibakar & Ansari, M Zahid & Ramakrishna, Seeram & Liu, Yong & Nanda, Himansu Sekhar, 2023. "Emerging phase change materials with improved thermal efficiency for a clean and sustainable environment: An approach towards net zero," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    9. de Gracia, Alvaro, 2019. "Dynamic building envelope with PCM for cooling purposes – Proof of concept," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 1245-1253.
    10. Lamrani, B. & Johannes, K. & Kuznik, F., 2021. "Phase change materials integrated into building walls: An updated review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    11. Yuan, Yanping & Zhang, Nan & Li, Tianyu & Cao, Xiaoling & Long, Weiyue, 2016. "Thermal performance enhancement of palmitic-stearic acid by adding graphene nanoplatelets and expanded graphite for thermal energy storage: A comparative study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 488-497.
    12. Ikutegbe, Charles A. & Farid, Mohammed M., 2020. "Application of phase change material foam composites in the built environment: A critical review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    13. Drissi, Sarra & Ling, Tung-Chai & Mo, Kim Hung & Eddhahak, Anissa, 2019. "A review of microencapsulated and composite phase change materials: Alteration of strength and thermal properties of cement-based materials," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 467-484.
    14. Facundo Bre & Antonio Caggiano & Eduardus A. B. Koenders, 2022. "Multiobjective Optimization of Cement-Based Panels Enhanced with Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials for Building Energy Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-17, July.
    15. Saafi, Khawla & Daouas, Naouel, 2019. "Energy and cost efficiency of phase change materials integrated in building envelopes under Tunisia Mediterranean climate," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    16. Sun, Xiaoqin & Medina, Mario A. & Lee, Kyoung Ok & Jin, Xing, 2018. "Laboratory assessment of residential building walls containing pipe-encapsulated phase change materials for thermal management," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 383-391.
    17. Rostami, Sara & Afrand, Masoud & Shahsavar, Amin & Sheikholeslami, M. & Kalbasi, Rasool & Aghakhani, Saeed & Shadloo, Mostafa Safdari & Oztop, Hakan F., 2020. "A review of melting and freezing processes of PCM/nano-PCM and their application in energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    18. Ahmed Hassan & Mohammad Shakeel Laghari & Yasir Rashid, 2016. "Micro-Encapsulated Phase Change Materials: A Review of Encapsulation, Safety and Thermal Characteristics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-32, October.
    19. Cui, Hongzhi & Tang, Waiching & Qin, Qinghua & Xing, Feng & Liao, Wenyu & Wen, Haibo, 2017. "Development of structural-functional integrated energy storage concrete with innovative macro-encapsulated PCM by hollow steel ball," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 107-118.
    20. Wu, Minqiang & Li, Tingxian & He, Qifan & Du, Ruxue & Wang, Ruzhu, 2022. "Thermally conductive and form-stable phase change composite for building thermal management," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PA).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:301:y:2021:i:c:s0306261921008552. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.