Solar Power Cells, Hot Water, Energy, Collectors

Phase change materials result in cost savings

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The most common PCM is probably ice. Drop a couple of cubes in your drink and they cool it by slowly absorbing heat as they melt. It’s such an obvious property that one might wonder why it’s important.

But what about other PCMs?

Those used in the Seattle building take the form of a gel derived from vegetable oils and the phase change occurs, not at the freezing point of water, but at room temperature. It remains a gel when the air in the building is cool, but gradually absorbs heat and liquefies as the building’s heat load increases during the day. The result is an indoor environment in which the temperature fluctuations are small, just as they are in buildings with a significant solar mass.

The PCM panels, called BioCPM, were supplied by Phase Change Energy Solutions, of North Carolina, and the company’s founder, Peter Horwath. He says the idea is the same as using thick concrete walls.

Source: Daily Commercial News