Adaptive dynamic building envelope integrated with phase change material to enhance the heat storage and release efficiency: A state-of-the-art review

The research of PCMs in the field of building energy efficiency has developed rapidly over the past decade. The static PCM-built envelopes cannot flexibly adjust their heat storage and release according to the changes in weather conditions and occupants’ demands, resulting in low heat storage and release efficiency. The application of the adaptive dynamic building envelope integrated with PCM (ADBEIPCM) addresses this problem. This paper systematically reviewed the ADBEIPCMs for the first time, including their system configuration, working principles, control strategies, and system performance. The research methods and the PCM properties were also well summarized. The results show that the ADBEIPCM can store solar energy and release heat in time to reduce building load and improve comfort mainly by rotating, moving, flipping, and controlling the state of vents. This review divided the ADBEIPCMs into two categories: opaque envelopes and transparent envelopes. The experiment studies and simulation studies accounted for 15.28% and 84.62% of the research on opaque envelopes, and each accounted for 50% of the research on transparent envelopes. But onsite monitoring studies on transparent envelopes only accounted for 25%. In the design of ADBEIPCM, the main encapsulation method of PCM was macro-encapsulation, and the type of PCM was mainly organic. This review analyzed the shortcomings of existing studies and gave recommendations for engineers, architects, and scholars. Future research should focus on the development of novel PCMs with high strength and stability, the development of artificial intelligence-based short-term control strategies, and the development of ADBEIPCM based on bionic technology and powered by renewable energies.