Integrated analysis of the energy and economic efficiency of PCM as an indoor decoration element: Application to an apartment building

Among latent heat thermal energy storage system (LHTES), phase change material (PCM) can be considered as one of the critical components to reach Zero Energy Buildings (ZEBs). Therefore, the energy saving potential of PCM was examined for different zone–construction combinations by constructing walls. The target structure was a residential apartment, which is the primary type of residential building in large Korean cities. In the set combination, the phase change material (PCM)—n-hexadecane, n-heptadecane, and n-octadecane with phase change temperatures of 20–28 °C—of the thermal heat storage (THS) system is placed indoors. Each PCM is applied to 0.1% to 0.9% of the volume of ​​the building. Energy Plus 8.7 was used, a building energy simulation software, to analyze the energy saving and economic efficiency. The analyzed result to energy saving is maximum of 3.19 kWh/m² in a year. Furthermore, through life cycle cost analysis, the investment recovery period was confirmed for each combination and the optimal recovery of PCM in all cases. The economic benefits of energy savings by PCM in each case were made apparent by showing a payback period of less than 10 years.