Evaluation of the Effect of Pcm-Integrated Vertical Shading Devices on the Energy Performance of Buildings with Glass Facades

Abstract

As the growing energy demand has become a significant global issue, the irresponsible consumption of energy has also brought about serious environmental threats such as global warming and climate change. Buildings account for one of the largest shares of energy consumption. Increasing energy efficiency in buildings plays a critical role in reducing both energy consumption and environmental pollution. Facade systems, which constitute a large surface area of the building envelope, play an important role in enhancing energy efficiency by reducing heating and cooling loads. In this study, the thermal and optical performance of vertically positioned elliptical-profiled solar shading devices (SDs) filled with phase change materials (PCMs) on the interior surfaces of glass facade systems is analyzed to improve the energy performance of buildings. The study aims to reduce sudden indoor temperature drops and enhance energy efficiency during the winter season. The performance of shading devices at different tilt angles is discussed. This study emphasizes that while shading devices contribute to thermal comfort, the control of natural light levels must also be considered. The results show that when PCM-filled vertical SDs are used on the interior surfaces of glass facades, they reduce sudden indoor temperature fluctuations and delay temperature drops during nighttime, thereby improving thermal comfort. Particularly at tilt angles of 30° and 45°, higher energy storage and heat release performance were observed, leading to improved thermal stability and increased energy efficiency. At the 40,000th second, the temperature inside the cabin with PCM-filled vertical SDs, placed at a 45° angle, was found to be 36% higher than that of the cabin with the SDs without PCM. Furthermore, it was determined that although lower tilt angles resulted in a greater reduction of incoming natural light due to increased coverage of the glass surface, a tilt angle of 45° provided both sufficient natural daylight and maintained indoor thermal comfort.

Keywords: Energy efficiency, Thermal comfort, thermal energy storage, Solar shading device, phase change material