Role of Phase Change Material in Implementing Renewable Energy for Small Scale Residential Cooling Appliances

One of the main solutions to energy and environmental problems is to offer cooling using renewable energy sources (RES). However, in the utilization of RES, appropriate energy storage systems are required to overcome the intermittency issues of RES. Phase change materials (PCMs) play a vital role in implementing RES in low-temperature cooling applications, and several studies have reported their advantages and limitations. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of current studies on PCM selection, applications, advantages, and the scope of further research to effectively utilize RES for cooling applications. We reviewed recent articles related to theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies on PCM-based solar cooling systems, including transport refrigeration, food outlet chilling, and commercial building cooling. A rigorous examination and summarization of the literature provides a comprehensive overview of the PCM's involvement in enhancing the performance of refrigeration systems. Compared to conventional systems, the inclusion of PCH enhances off-time temperature maintenance by more than six times, reduces pulldown time by up to 78%, and results in energy savings of up to 18.5%. Furthermore, PCM allows the refrigerators to work at the required temperature even after sunshine hours with 8–15% less energy consumption and without battery storage. However, further studies using the recently developed PCMs can determine the performance of system components and their potential application in various sectors of the refrigeration industry in the coming years.