Phase-Change Materials (PCMs) for Buildings with High Thermal Efficiency in Romania

Following the currently rising interest in the field of Phase Change Materials (PCM), the overall objective of this article is to study the use of PCM materials integrated as insulators in residential buildings. Space heating and cooling account for most of the energy used by buildings. Construction components enhanced with PCMs can generate a high reduction of the cooling/heating loads of the roof and walls. In addition, according to the literature, indoor daytime temperatures can register decreases of up to 2 °C in the summer season. There are various studies that analyze the impact of incorporating PCM into buildings for different conditions and geographical regions. These studies emphasize the application of these phase-changing materials based on the energy savings that can be achieved. The authors also suggest that their use is location specific. Thus, it becomes necessary to analyze and test different Phase Change-type materials for climatic conditions before using them. The characterization of the PCMs together with the comparative study case will be presented in this paper. PCMs suitable for the geographical climate of Romania will be proposed, to increase the thermal efficiency of the buildings.