Energy refurbishment of existing buildings through the use of phase change materials: Energy savings and indoor comfort in the cooling season

Ascione, Fabrizio; Bianco, Nicola; Masi, Rosa Francesca De; Rossi, Filippo de; Vanoli, Giuseppe Peter

doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.08.045

Cited by 272 publications

(95 citation statements)

References 52 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Obtaining nZEBs taking into account cost-optimality is still challenging and often limited to demonstration studies or pilot projects. However, the potential reduction of the environmental impact of new buildings is negligible compared to that of existing ones [18][19][20][21][22]. The analysis of several energy renovation packages in a given building and the evaluation of the related costs in two different economic scenarios are useful to derive the optimal solution both in terms of energy performance and global costs [23].…”

Section: Cost-optimal Studies Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficient Solutions and Cost-Optimal Analysis for Existing School Buildings

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The recast of the energy performance of buildings directive (EPBD) describes a comparative methodological framework to promote energy efficiency and establish minimum energy performance requirements in buildings at the lowest costs. The aim of the cost-optimal methodology is to foster the achievement of nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs), the new target for all new buildings by 2020, characterized by a high performance with a low energy requirement almost covered by renewable sources. The paper presents the results of the application of the cost-optimal methodology in two existing buildings located in the Mediterranean area. These buildings are a kindergarten and a nursery school that differ in construction period, materials and systems. Several combinations of measures have been applied to derive cost-effective efficient solutions for retrofitting. The cost-optimal level has been identified for each building and the best performing solutions have been selected considering both a financial and a macroeconomic analysis. The results illustrate the suitability of the methodology to assess cost-optimality and energy efficiency in school building refurbishment. The research shows the variants providing the most cost-effective balance between costs and energy saving. The cost-optimal solution reduces primary energy consumption by 85% and gas emissions by 82%-83% in each reference building.

show abstract

Section: Cost-optimal Studies Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficient Solutions and Cost-Optimal Analysis for Existing School Buildings

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The system was found suitable for both active and passive space cooling applications. Ascione et al [15] investigated the thermal performance of refurbished wall insulated massive buildings having PCMs added to the inner side of the building envelope. The analysis was done in five different Mediterranean climatic conditions for a complete cooling season (1 May to 30 September).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal Performance Analysis of Multi-Phase Change Material Layer-Integrated Building Roofs for Energy Efficiency in Built-Environment

2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCMs) plays a significant role in maintaining thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption in a building because of its ability to absorb/release heat within small temperature variations. In this paper, the thermal performance of roofs has been investigated based on various factors like the integration of a single PCM layer, integration of a double PCM layer, the thickness of the PCM, phase transition temperature and heat of fusion of the PCM. The analysis shows that integration of a single PCM layer of different thickness and phase transition temperature and heat of fusion in roof structures is unable to maintain a comfortable constant temperature inside the building due to incomplete solidification and melting of the PCM. However, the analysis shows that with multi-PCM layers of appropriate thickness it is possible to maintain a constant comfortable temperature of about 28 • C in the building throughout the day in Chennai, India. The analysis also shows that there is reduction in heat gain by 17 to 26% for a single PCM layered roof and 25 to 36% for a double PCM layered roof compared to the roof without PCM layer for the different months of the year.

show abstract

“…Regarding its usage in residential applications, researchers in Australia have explored the use of PCMs as a passive way of reducing overheating risks in various climatic zones, such as those carried out by Alam et al [13] and Ascione et al [14]. Those studies have linked the effectiveness of passive heat exchange to the outdoor climatic conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of Using Phase Change Materials on Reducing Summer Overheating Issues in UK Residential Buildings with Identification of Influential Factors

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The UK is currently suffering great overheating issues in summer, especially in residential buildings where no air-conditioning has been installed. This overheating will seriously affect people's comfort and even health, especially for elderly people. Phase change materials (PCMs) have been considered as a useful passive method, which absorb excessive heat when the room is hot and release the stored heat when the room is cool. This research has adopted a simulation method in DesignBuilder to evaluate the effectiveness of using PCMs to reduce the overheating issues in UK residential applications and has analyzed potential factors that will influence the effectiveness of overheating. The factors include environment-related (location of the building, global warming/climate change) and construction-related (location of the PCM, insulation, heavyweight/lightweight construction). This research provides useful evidence about using PCMs in UK residential applications and the results are helpful for architects and engineers to decide when and where to use PCMs in buildings to maintain a low carbon lifestyle.

show abstract

Energy refurbishment of existing buildings through the use of phase change materials: Energy savings and indoor comfort in the cooling season

Cited by 272 publications

References 52 publications

Efficient Solutions and Cost-Optimal Analysis for Existing School Buildings

Efficient Solutions and Cost-Optimal Analysis for Existing School Buildings

Thermal Performance Analysis of Multi-Phase Change Material Layer-Integrated Building Roofs for Energy Efficiency in Built-Environment

Effectiveness of Using Phase Change Materials on Reducing Summer Overheating Issues in UK Residential Buildings with Identification of Influential Factors

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About