Review and System Design of Integrated Phase Change Materials and Solar Energy Generation in Extreme Weather

Extreme weather conditions create significant challenges for energy efficiency considerations, both passive strategies and energy generation, impacting indoor environmental quality in high-performance buildings (HPBs). Traditional passive design strategies are often limited by insufficient thermal storage capacity and non-optimal energy generation performance, particularly during periods of intense heat, cold, wind, and variable solar exposure. Meanwhile, phase change materials (PCMs) have been used in building applications to regulate building thermal loads and as cooling media for photovoltaic (PV) modules. This research introduces system design at its early development stage, as an introduction to a performance-based analysis of an advanced integrated system combining PCMs and PV solar energy generation, designed to maximize energy performance and occupant comfort in extreme climates. The paper aims to identify design pathways for coupling these domains to create hybrid PV-PCM-envelope systems that deliver both electrical and thermal performance benefits in two contrasting climatic zones: continental cold climate and hot desert climate. This paper develops a literature review of integrated PCM envelopes and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) systems to identify the application gap in extreme weather conditions. A proposed PCM-PV integrated building envelope system is designed and presented in this paper. Numerical modeling, applying an energy balance approach for PCM development and a single-diode model approach for PV generation module, is built to evaluate annual system and whole-building performance, with parameters such as PCM panel thickness, PV panels integration, and operational schedules. The anticipated performance of the proposed system design is discussed. The anticipated performance derived from prior experimental prototypes demonstrates that strategic integration of multiple PCM types enhances year-round thermal energy storage, while innovative PV deployment maintains energy generation even under extreme weather disruptions. This combination can reduce heating and cooling loads, boost energy production, and support indoor environmental quality and occupant well-being. Future work will include experimental prototypes, capturing real-time performance, thermal storage efficiency, and system effectiveness metrics. Experimental data will be used to validate simulation results, ensure model reliability, and inform practical system implementation. This research establishes a data-driven framework for HPB design, highlighting new pathways for resilient, sustainable, and energy-efficient buildings, contributing to climate adaptation and operational quality in diverse extreme climates.