Phase Change Material Thermal Energy Storage Systems for Cooling Applications in Buildings

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change and energy crises have contributed to a clear trend towards urge more energy-efficient and resilient buildings. Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are responsible for half of energy consumption; cooling demand, a factor which is directly related to climate change, is forecast to experience a massive increase in all continents (for instance, from 0.8 EJ in 2010 to an expected 5.8 EJ in 2050 for Asia, Latin America, India, and China). Thermal energy storage (TES) is a key strategy for meeting thermal comfort requirements related to overheating; utilizing phase change materials (PCMs) is a well-tested and researched strategy. PCMs have high energy storage density capabilities and are capable of storing at a constant temperature thermal energy during phase transitions; this property is widely exploited for cooling improvement in buildings. Moreover, PCMs can absorb excess energy in buildings, thus filling the gap between energy supply and demand.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to PCM implementation into cooling systems of buildings, covering theory, design, modelling, and performance.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to:

Cooling passive methods:

• free cooling
• Trombe walls
• passive solar facades
• solar chimneys
• PCM implementation within the envelope and structural elements (walls and wallboards, floors, ceilings and roofs, windows, shutters, and blinds).

Cooling active methods:

• free cooling
• ventilated trombe walls and active solar facades
• TABS with PCM
• air conditioning systems
• evaporative and radiative systems
• geocooling

PCM and thermal comfort.

Dr. Andrea Ferrantelli
Prof. Dr. Marco Perino
Guest Editors

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• PCM
• latent heat
• cooling
• thermal energy storage
• energy efficiency
• energy performance
• building
• HVAC systems
• climate change
• global warming