Energy and cost savings in sustainable building walls: transient heat transfer simulation with PCM and TIM optimization

Abstract

This research provides a deep assessment of the heat transfer in environmentally sustainable building structure fabric, with a particular emphasis on the placement and thickness optimization of both phase change materials (PCMs) and thermal insulation materials (TIM) to improve the thermal performance of the building walls. The analysis utilizes an efficient numerical approach to conduct precise and efficient thermal simulations. Dirichlet boundary conditions, applied to the wall’s exterior surface, are based on recorded year-round weather data and consider the heat transfer convection and radiation effects. Various configurations of PCM and insulation thicknesses are explored to determine the ideal dimensions that maximize thermal comfort in the indoor space. Results are provided in the forms of annual energy load (AEL) , total energy saving (TES), annual energy cost (AEC), annual energy cost saving (AECS), net life cost saving (NLCS), and annual energy saving percentage (AESP). The optimum configurations selected depended on maximizing both the maximum AESP and NLCS. For brick-based wall solutions, the most effective configuration yielded an AESP of 96.6 %, with NLCS up to 288.63 USD/m². In concrete-based solutions, the optimal setup achieved a 98.6 % AESP, equating to a NLCS of 709.77 USD/m². These findings offer valuable guidance for designing sustainable buildings with enhanced thermal performance of the walls, highlighting the effective of the PCMs and insulation integration for achieving peak energy efficiency.