A methodology for investigating the effectiveness of PCM wallboards for summer thermal comfort in buildings

The present paper describes a methodology for the comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for the improvement of summer thermal comfort in lightweight buildings. To this aim, a series of indicators is firstly introduced, that allow a precise description of both the PCM behaviour (frequency of melting, storage efficiency) and the intensity and duration of the thermal comfort perceived by the occupants. Then a case study is proposed, based on simulations, that consists in the application of newly developed wallboards, containing organic PCMs, on the partition walls of a lightweight office building. The approach presented in the study can be useful for assisting the detection of the most appropriate PCM and its installation pattern as a function of the climatic operating conditions and of the comfort requirements. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.