16/04/2025

Sustainable Energy Lab Begins Testing of Phase Change Materials for High-Performance Building Envelopes

We’re excited to announce the start of experimental testing on advanced Phase Change Materials (PCMs) at the Sustainable Energy Lab, as part of a collaborative research effort between DICAM and DII at the University of Trento.
The tests are being carried out using our Hot-Box apparatus (Double Climatic Chamber), focusing on summer thermal performance and the potential of PCMs to enhance thermal comfort while reducing energy demand. The sample under investigation is a wall system composed of organic bricks, paired with an external layer of PCM prepared in multilayer structures: EPDM/NBR panels embedded with a shape- stabilized PCM.
PCMs could play a crucial role in modern building design by absorbing and storing heat during the day and releasing it during cooler periods, effectively flattening temperature peaks. This thermal buffering reduces heat flux into indoor spaces, which can significantly cut cooling loads, not only in warmer location, but also in the alpine region which is increasingly becoming a hot-spot of the global warming. This sets a difficult challenge in the building envelope optimization balancing both winter and summer thermal performance. Thanks to our sophisticated hot-box and a exhaustive data acquisition system, temperatures and heat fluxes are monitored in order to assess dynamic thermal properties of the analysed wall coupled with phase change materials. Our current focus is on understanding how PCM thickness affects the thermal behaviour of the wall, with an eye toward optimizing solutions tailored to different climatic zones. This research aims to support climate-responsive architecture and contribute to the development of more sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.
Stay tuned for updates as we continue this exciting journey toward smarter building materials and systems!