Thermal Performance Evaluation of a Light Steel Framing Building with Macroencapsulated Phase Change Materials in a Mediterranean Climate

As a roadmap for carbon mitigation, reducing energy consumption and improving thermal comfort are key factors for achieving efficient and sustainable buildings. The integration of Phase Change Materials (PCM) as passive thermal regulators in thermal energy storage systems is an effective measure to reduce demand of fossil fuels and enhance building thermal mass. Nevertheless, there is still a scarcity of experimental research that combines the focuses on the type and positioning of PCM in buildings components with a large-scale experimental setup, to accurately evaluate the real effects of these materials.In this framework, the present research focuses on thermal characterization and performance analysis of a Light Steel Framing (LSF) building enhanced with macroencapsulated salt hydrate based PCM. Therefore, an experimental campaign was performed in two real scale and comparable buildings. First, the thermal properties of the material and construction solutions were tested and characterized, followed by a thorough evaluation of the building performance. A comparative analysis of the inner surface temperatures in the two buildings − one representing a common LSF solution as a reference solution; and the other representing a thermally enhanced building incorporating PCM − was conducted, as well as the detailed characterization of the temperature profile in all layers of the construction solutions. Monitoring scheme was also defined to study the PCM behaviour in terms of charging and discharging processResults revealed a significant passive thermal regulation capacity in the thermally enhanced building, reducing inner surface temperature peaks up to 5 °C to 8 °C during the winter and spring seasons. In the cooling season, PCM mobilization was hindered by the high outdoor temperatures. Considering that the PCM went through the phase transition only approximately 20 % to 28 % of the monitored period, optimizing its performance is a further issue that involves either repositioning the PCM layer within the construction assemblies or selecting a different operating temperature range.