Tools and Materials for Zero Net Energy California Buildings
Phase change materials to store thermal energy for wall assembliesand develop design tools.
Regents of the University of California, Davis
Recipient
Davis, CA
Recipient Location
3rd
Senate District
4th
Assembly District
$1,261,882
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
Results s
The Issue
Heat is absorbed or released when the materials change from solid to liquid or vice versa. This project researched new phase change materials to store thermal energy for wall assemblies, and developed associated software tools. Phase change materials absorb thermal energy. They can remove, or reduce, the need for heating and cooling in some buildings. Unlike air conditioning systems, they require no maintenance. The use of phase change materials and associated software tools can contribute to zero net energy commercial buildings, which do not consume more energy than they produce, or to reduce the energy needs of buildings through passive designs that require low or no energy to operate.
Project Innovation
This project researched new phase change materials (PCM) to store thermal energy for wall assemblies, and develop associated software tools. Heat is absorbed or released when the materials change from solid to liquid or vice versa. PCMs absorb thermal energy and they can reduce the need for heating and cooling in some buildings. Their impact is similar to that of adding thermal mass to the building. Unlike air conditioning systems, they require no maintenance. The use of PCMs and associated software tools can contribute to zero net energy commercial buildings by reducing the energy needs of a building through passive design.
Project Benefits
Utilizing PCM-composite materials in building envelopes provides an opportunity to save on heating and cooling energy use and the associated costs. The analysis and modeling of phase change materials showed that the annual cooling load reduction afforded by a PCM-composite wall compared to a plain concrete wall ranged from 85 to 100 percent in Los Angeles and from 53 to 82 percent in San Francisco. This research provided climate specific performance data for the PCM-composites that will allow building designers and engineers to properly specify these materials in future construction from a cost, energy savings, and material performance perspective.
Affordability
Costs for cooling and heating buildings will be reduced by using PCMs. Research indicated cooling energy savings of 53% to 100% depending on the climate zone, leading to reduced building operating costs.
Economic Development
The project developed free energy consultant tools and tutorials explaining how to use these design tools to create ZNE buildings. These tutorials are designed for building owners, builders, architects, and students. By providing
Reliability
The project demonstrated that adding microencapsulated PCM to concrete resulted in a reduction and a time-shift for cooling and heating needs. Reduced heating and cooling loads also reduces equipment cycling and run-time, leading
Key Project Members
