IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v17y2024i19p4839-d1486887.html

Assessing the Potential of Phase-Change Materials in Energy Retrofitting of Existing Buildings in a Mediterranean Climate

Author

Listed:
  • Roberto Stasi

    (Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Design, Polytechnic University of Bari, Via Edoardo Orabona, 4, 70126 Bari, Italy)

  • Francesco Ruggiero

    (Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Design, Polytechnic University of Bari, Via Edoardo Orabona, 4, 70126 Bari, Italy)

  • Umberto Berardi

    (Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Design, Polytechnic University of Bari, Via Edoardo Orabona, 4, 70126 Bari, Italy)

Abstract

The European Community has prioritized reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency in the building sector, along with ensuring increasingly high standards of thermal comfort, as key goals over recent decades. Given the impact of climate change, the rising frequency of extreme weather events, and the rapid shifts in peak demand during both winter and summer, buildings must efficiently respond to sudden and extreme temperature fluctuations while maintaining optimal indoor comfort. Phase-change materials (PCMs), which can adapt their thermophysical properties in response to external conditions, may offer a solution for enhancing building resilience to climate change. This paper evaluates the benefits of integrating various PCMs with plasterboard in the energy retrofit of a multi-family complex in a Mediterranean climate. The study examines the application of a PCM with a melting temperature of 25 °C at three different thicknesses (74.2 mm, 37.1 mm, and 20.8 mm) to external walls, ceilings, and both walls and ceilings simultaneously. Among the various applications, using the PCM on walls alone maximized heating savings as thickness increased (26.6%), while ceiling application maximized cooling energy savings (17.5%). Combined solutions offered the most balanced seasonal benefits, leading to the greatest overall energy reductions (24.1%).

Suggested Citation

  • Roberto Stasi & Francesco Ruggiero & Umberto Berardi, 2024. "Assessing the Potential of Phase-Change Materials in Energy Retrofitting of Existing Buildings in a Mediterranean Climate," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-16, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:19:p:4839-:d:1486887
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/19/4839/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/19/4839/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Piselli, Cristina & Prabhakar, Mohit & de Gracia, Alvaro & Saffari, Mohammad & Pisello, Anna Laura & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2020. "Optimal control of natural ventilation as passive cooling strategy for improving the energy performance of building envelope with PCM integration," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 171-181.
    2. Chen, Xiaoming & Zhang, Quan & Zhai, Zhiqiang John & Ma, Xiaowei, 2019. "Potential of ventilation systems with thermal energy storage using PCMs applied to air conditioned buildings," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 39-53.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Gohar Gholamibozanjani & Mohammed Farid, 2021. "A Critical Review on the Control Strategies Applied to PCM-Enhanced Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-39, March.
    2. Xinghui Zhang & Qili Shi & Lingai Luo & Yilin Fan & Qian Wang & Guanguan Jia, 2021. "Research Progress on the Phase Change Materials for Cold Thermal Energy Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-46, December.
    3. Li, Weilin & Jing, Mingyi & Li, Rufei & Gao, Junxi & Zhu, Jiayin & Li, Ruixin, 2023. "Study of the optimal placement of phase change materials in existing buildings for cooling load reduction - Take the Central Plain of China as an example," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 71-84.
    4. Hawks, M.A. & Cho, S., 2024. "Review and analysis of current solutions and trends for zero energy building (ZEB) thermal systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PB).
    5. Yan, Tian & Zhou, Xuan & Xu, Xinhua & Yu, Jinghua & Li, Xianting, 2022. "Parametric analysis on performances of the pipe-encapsulated PCM (PenPCM) wall system coupled with gravity heat-pipe and nocturnal radiant cooler," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 161-180.
    6. Nayara R. M. Sakiyama & Joyce C. Carlo & Leonardo Mazzaferro & Harald Garrecht, 2021. "Building Optimization through a Parametric Design Platform: Using Sensitivity Analysis to Improve a Radial-Based Algorithm Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-25, May.
    7. Abdelkader Sarri & Saleh Nasser Al-Saadi & Müslüm Arıcı & Djamel Bechki & Hamza Bouguettaia, 2023. "Architectural Design Strategies for Enhancement of Thermal and Energy Performance of PCMs-Embedded Envelope System for an Office Building in a Typical Arid Saharan Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-29, January.
    8. Ljungdahl, V. & Taha, K. & Dallaire, J. & Kieseritzky, E. & Pawelz, F. & Jradi, M. & Veje, C., 2021. "Phase change material based ventilation module - Numerical study and experimental validation of serial design," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    9. Zhengjing Li & Yishun Sha & Xuelai Zhang, 2024. "Research on Phase Change Cold Storage Materials and Innovative Applications in Air Conditioning Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-24, August.
    10. Khdair, Adnan I. & Aburumman, Ghaida A. & Tahmasbi, Farzaneh & Tahmasebi, Mohammad & Kalbasi, Rasool & Afrand, Masoud, 2026. "Advancing natural ventilation in sustainable architecture: mechanisms, innovations, and climate-responsive design for energy-efficient buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 226(PC).
    11. Li, Yantong & Nord, Natasa & Yin, Huibin, 2023. "An investigation of using CO2 heat pumps to charge PCM storage tank for domestic use," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    12. Susana P. B. Sousa & Helena C. Teixeira & Giorgia Autretto & Valeria Villamil Cárdenas & Stefano Fantucci & Fabio Favoino & Pamela Voigt & Mario Stelzmann & Robert Böhm & Gabriel Beltrán & Nicolás Esc, 2025. "Eco-Friendly Sandwich Panels for Energy-Efficient Façades," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-25, July.
    13. Huang, Xinyu & Li, Fangfei & Liu, Zhengguang & Gao, Xinyu & Yang, Xiaohu & Yan, Jinyue, 2023. "Design and optimization of a novel phase change photovoltaic thermal utilization structure for building envelope," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    14. Nikkerdar, F. & Rahimi, M. & Ranjbar, A.A. & Pakrouh, R. & Bahrampoury, R., 2021. "Solar assisted thermal storage system for free heating applications in moderate climates: A case study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    15. Ahmad, Abrar & Memon, Shazim Ali & Dang, Hongtao & Sari, Ahmet & Gencel, Osman, 2025. "Breaking new ground: A first-of-its-kind critical analysis of review articles on phase change materials for building applications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 392(C).
    16. Staszczuk, Anna & Kuczyński, Tadeusz, 2021. "The impact of wall and roof material on the summer thermal performance of building in a temperate climate," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    17. Yan, Tian & Xu, Xinhua & Gao, Jiajia & Luo, Yongqiang & Yu, Jinghua, 2020. "Performance evaluation of a PCM-embedded wall integrated with a nocturnal sky radiator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    18. Mehrdad Ghamari & Senthilarasu Sundaram, 2024. "Solar Window Innovations: Enhancing Building Performance through Advanced Technologies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-31, July.
    19. Xiaofei Huang & Junwei Yan & Xuan Zhou & Yixin Wu & Shichen Hu, 2023. "Cooling Technologies for Internet Data Center in China: Principle, Energy Efficiency, and Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-31, October.
    20. Ahmad, Abrar & Memon, Shazim Ali, 2024. "A novel method to evaluate phase change materials' impact on buildings' energy, economic, and environmental performance via controlled natural ventilation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 353(PB).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:19:p:4839-:d:1486887. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.