Energy assessment of a novel dynamic PCMs based solar shading: results from an experimental campaign

New generations of building envelopes need to responsively manage the energy exchange between outdoor and indoor environment as well as to regulate the energy storage. The transparent envelope has also to answer to visual requirements allowing for external vision, but guarantying comfort conditions. In this framework, a new dynamic solar shading device able to modulate solar heat gains and daylighting, as well as to enhance the thermal inertia of the transparent envelope is presented. The technology named PCM2SHAD is composed of alveolar polycarbonate panels filled with Phase Change Materials. An experimental analysis was carried out in an outdoor test cell to evaluate the energy performance of the system Two configurations were experimentally investigated in Turin (North-West Italy), to verify the influence of the colour of the polycarbonate panels and the behaviour of different PCMs typologies (bio, salts hydrates and paraffin based PCM). Results showed a good potential of the technology to reduce the cooling daily energy by 40% if compared to the reference technology and to improve the thermal inertia of the window delaying up to 3 hours the entering heat fluxes. Furthermore, a reduction of the indoor surface temperature, positively affecting the indoor thermal comfort, was observed.