Thermal Storage by Latent Heat: A Viable Option for Energy Conservation in Buildings

Thermal storage by latent heat is an effective means of energy conservation in buildings; however, practical developments have been hampered by the lack of technically feasible storage materials. Organic materials that were first discarded as too costly could be attractive in new perspectives such as load shifting and peak demand reduction. The evolution of phase-change materials technology is reviewed, and potential applications to energy conservation in buildings in the context of demand-side management of electrical networks are given.