Phase change materials for thermal energy storage

A significant portion of the total primary energy is consumed by today's buildings in developed countries In many of these buildings, the energy consumption can be significantly reduced by adopting energy efficiency strategies Due to environmental concerns and the high cost of energy in recent years there has been a renewed interest in building energy efficiency This article strives to make an exhaustive technical review of the building envelope components and respective improvements from an energy efficiency perspective Different types of energy efficient walls such as Trombe walls, ventilated walls, and glazed walls are discussed Performance of different fenestration technologies including aerogel, vacuum glazing and frames are presented Advances in energy efficient roofs including the contemporary green roofs, photovoltaic roofs, radiant-transmittive barrier and evaporative roof cooling systems are discussed Various types of thermal insulation materials are enumerated along with selection criteria of these materials The effects of thermal mass and phase change material on building cooling/heating loads and peak loads are discussed Application of thermal mass as an energy saving method is more effective in places where the outside ambient air temperature differences between the days and nights are high Air tightness and infiltration of building envelopes are discussed as they play a crucial role in the energy consumption of a building Energy efficiency approaches sometimes might not require additional capital investment For example, a holistic energy efficient building design approach can reduce the size of mechanical systems compensating the additional cost of energy efficiency features

Passive building energy savings: A review of building envelope components

Traditional, state-of-the-art and future thermal building insulation materials and solutions – Properties, requirements and possibilities

Electrochromics for smart windows: Oxide-based thin films and devices

The energy consumption of a building is strongly dependent on the characteristics of its envelope. The thermal performance of external walls represents a key factor to increase the energy efficiency of the construction sector and to reduce greenhouse gases emissions. Thermal insulation is undoubtedly one of the best ways to reduce the energy consumption due to both winter heating and summer cooling. Insulation materials play an important role in this scenario since the selection of the correct material, its thickness and its position, allow to obtain good indoor thermal comfort conditions and adequate energy savings. Thermal properties are extremely important, but they are not the only ones to be considered when designing a building envelope: sound insulation, resistance to fire, water vapor permeability and impact on the environment and on human health need to be carefully assessed too. The purpose of the paper is to provide a review of the main commercialized insulation materials (conventional, alternative and advanced) for the building sector through a holistic and multidisciplinary approach, considering thermal properties, acoustic properties, reaction to fire and water vapor resistance; environmental issues were also taken into account by means of Life Cycle Assessment approach. A comparative analysis was performed, considering also unconventional insulation materials that are not yet present in the market. Finally a case study was conducted evaluating both thermal transmittance and dynamic thermal properties of one lightweight and three heavyweight walls, with different types of insulating materials and ways of installation (external, internal or cavity insulation).

Insulation materials for the building sector: A review and comparative analysis

https://facades.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/lbnl-5304e.pdf

Fenestration of Today and Tomorrow: A State-of-the-Art Review and Future Research Opportunities

https://facades.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/lbnl-5099e.pdf

Key Elements of and Materials Performance Targets for Highly Insulating Window Frames

SINTEF Building and Infrastructure State-of-the-Art Highly Insulating Window Frames – Research and Market Review Arild Gustavsen, SINTEF Building and Infrastructure, Bjorn Petter Jelle, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Dariush Arasteh and Christian Kohler, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Project report 6 – 2007 This work is supported by the Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Building Technology, U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231 and by the Research Council of Norway within the research project MOT – «Modern Wood Window Frames with Surface Treatment» (In Norwegian: Moderne trevindu med overflate-behandling).

/pdf/state-of-the-art-highly-insulating-window-frames-research-1jap613bfe.pdf

State-of-the-Art Highly Insulating Window Frames - Research and Market Review

Over the past 15 years, low-emissivity and other technological improvements have significantly improved the energy efficiency of windows sold in the United States. However,as interest increases in the concept of zero-energy homes--buildings that do not consume any non-renewable or net energy from the utility grid--even today's highest-performance window products will not be sufficient. This simulation study compares today's typical residential windows, today's most efficient residential windows, and several options for advanced window technologies including both products with improved fixed or static properties and products with dynamic solar heat gain properties. Nine representative window products are examined in eight representative US climates. Annual energy and peak demand impacts are investigated. We conclude that a new generation of window products is necessary for zero-energy homes if windows are not to be an energy drain on these homes. Windows with dynamic solar heat gain properties are found to offer significant potentials to reduce energy use and peak demands in northern and central climates while windows with very low (static) solar heat gain properties offer the most potential in southern climates.

Future advanced windows for zero-energy homes

LBNL-60049 To be presented and published in the Proceedings of the 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, August 13-18, 2006, Pacific Grove, CA. Zero Energy Windows Dariush Arasteh, Steve Selkowitz, Josh Apte Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Marc LaFrance U.S. Department of Energy This work is supported by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies, U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

Dariush Arasteh

Papers

Fenestration of Today and Tomorrow: A State-of-the-Art Review and Future Research Opportunities

Key Elements of and Materials Performance Targets for Highly Insulating Window Frames

State-of-the-Art Highly Insulating Window Frames - Research and Market Review

Future advanced windows for zero-energy homes

Zero Energy Windows