Materiales de cambio de fase (PCMs) para almacenamiento térmico y su empleo en edificación

Abstract

There is a growing interest in the development of new construction systems and technologies capable of efficiently store thermalenergy, thus reducing the energy consumption from fossil sources and their associated pollution, while at the same time cutting down theenergy costs for the end user. Phase change materials are suitable to store thermal energy in the form of latent heat of fusion. Their use inthe building industry is presently under development. Phase change materials, usually known as PCMs, can be incorporated in differentconstructive systems and technologies, as well as in auxiliary facilities. Presently, the relatively high price of these materials, together withseveral technical aspects, are the main drawbacks that limit their widespread implementation. The present chapter aims to present a briefreview of today´s employment and availability of PCMs in the building industry.