A Study of Phase Change Materials for Energy Conservation in Classic Multi-Layered Victorian-era Buildings: A Practical Approach for Balancing Heritage Preservation and Climate Neutrality in Temperate Climates

An integration of phase change materials (PCMs) into building designs presents a promising avenue for energy conservation, temperature stabilisation and zero emissions. European countries, renowned for their historical Victorian-era buildings, grapple with the challenge of balancing preservation imperatives with modern energy efficiency requirements. This study investigates the high efficacy of PCM integration in a typical thick multi-layer structure characterised by the external walls of Victorian-era buildings in a temperate climate, aiming to align with the EU's climate-neutral strategy by 2050 while safeguarding heritage structures. The experimental findings have shown that PCM layers positioned near the outer wall of multi-layered structures in temperate climates often failed to attain the requisite phase change temperatures. However, the identified optimal placements between 88 % and 93 % away from the wall's external surface resulted in significant energy savings. Typically, a reduction in cooling energy consumption by 5.3–6.2 % was observed. The strategic positioning of the PCM layers contributed to enhanced indoor comfort levels, as evidenced by an expanded temperature range up to 7.9 °C and mitigated peak temperature fluctuations of 1.74 °C to 2.0 °C. These findings underscore the practical benefits of PCM application in thick and multi-layered building designs. By bolstering peak temperature reduction and thermal regulation without compromising architectural integrity, a PCM integration has the potential to be a viable solution to the challenges posed by energy consumption in historical buildings.