Potential of macroencapsulated PCM for thermal energy storage in buildings: A comprehensive review

Advances in thermal energy storage techniques/methods, using Phase Change Material (PCM), have gained much hype among researchers in the last decade. Thermal energy storage systems can significantly reduce energy consumption and promotes the use of renewable sources of energy. In recent decades, the building sector has evolved as one of the major consumer of energy resulting in high levels of carbon emissions. Thermal energy storage combined with PCM is an effective method for improving the energy efficiency of the buildings. PCM can be incorporated in the building envelope in many ways. One of the simplest and effective method of integrating PCM directly in building material is macroencapsulation. This method not only improves the indoor thermal behavior of the buildings, but also reduces the cooling load without or little compromising with the mechanical strength of the building structure. In this article, a critical review of the application of macroencapsulated PCM in buildings for energy savings has been carried out. A detailed review of various approaches to integrate the macroencapsulated PCM in the building envelope has been shown. Effect on indoor thermal behavior and reduction in cooling load was analyzed for different approaches. Additionally, the compatibility of various materials used for making containers for encapsulation was also investigated. A detailed description of macroencapsulation technique, types of thermal energy storage methods used in buildings, suitable PCM available for encapsulation has also been shown in the article. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.