The US Department of Energy has issued a report in December 2017 (https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/12/f46/bto-DOE-Comm-HVAC-Report-12-21-17.pdf) entitled ENERGY SAVINGS POTENTIAL AND RD&D OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDING HVAC SYSTEMS. Amongst the high priority technology options listed are phase change materials. The report describes the potential as follows:
B.10 Phase Change Materials
Technology Description
Phase change materials (PCMs) provide passive cooling by storing and releasing thermal energy as latent heat. PCMs are substances such as
paraffin or salts that undergo a phase change (from solid to liquid and back) near the desired building temperature. Deploying these materials in buildings
can help maintain a consistent indoor temperature, as excess heat is absorbed by the PCM during daytime and released at nighttime. A 2013 NREL
study looking at PCMs in residential building envelopes estimated 15-20% cooling energy savings. Researchers are studying how to encapsulate PCMs and apply them to interior building surfaces, either as finished panels or as a thin coating materials integrated into wall paint or drywall.
