Review on thermal performance of phase change energy storage building envelope

Improving the thermal performance of building envelope is an important way to save building energy consumption. The phase change energy storage building envelope is helpful to effective use of renewable energy, reducing building operational energy consumption, increasing building thermal comfort, and reducing environment pollution and greenhouse gas emission. This paper presents the concept of ideal energy-saving building envelope, which is used to guide the building envelope material selection and thermal performance design. This paper reviews some available researches on phase change building material and phase change energy storage building envelope. At last, this paper presents some current problems needed further research. Supported by National Supporting Program for Science and Technology of China (Grant Nos. 2006BAA04B02 and 2006BAJ02A09)