The Application of Phase Change Materials to Improve the Climate Resilience of a Low-Energy Prototype House

Following a shift towards a larger use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) for housing development, overheating issues in UK homes is becoming a great concern [1-5]. MMC dwellings tend to be highly insulated, almost air-tight, and have lower thermal mass than traditional construction. The most important advantages of MMC are the reduced use of materials, the possibility of reuse and recycling of components, and the lightness of the structure. The integration of thermal mass, obtained usually through heavy element installation, can be problematical and use of Phase Change Materials (PCM) in building application may present a solution to this issue. This was rare until the past decade although actively considered since the 1980s [6]. PCM has been proven to work in a number of building applications but not much work has been undertaken investigating its applicability in housing. The Mark Group Research House, a super insulated steel frame home, was designed to test MMC solutions and innovative technologies, and to achieve ‘zero carbon’ without compromising user’s comfort. In previous work, a computer model was used to investigate the house’s potential for overheating in today’s weather as well as in future climate scenarios. The simulations have found that generally the house is comfortable but, despite the addition of mitigating strategies, there is a risk of overheating which is aggravated in future scenarios [7]. The work presented in this article is a development of that work, now integrating PCM in the house and dynamically simulating its benefits in today’s climate and in future climate scenarios when temperatures are expected to be higher. The simulations have shown that the PCM may contribute to regulate the temperatures in the house even when temperatures are warmer but it is only effective with coupled with ventilation which may not be desirable or easy to implement because of its dependency on user behaviour.