Enhancing Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Through Integration of PCMs in Passive Design: An Energetic, Environmental, and Economic (3E) Analysis

Integrating phase change materials (PCMs) into building envelopes offers a powerful method for enhancing thermal mass and reducing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning energy demand. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of combining PCMs with various roof designs (flat, gable, and domed) and shading strategies in a Mediterranean climate to optimize residential building performance. Through a 3E (energetic, environmental, and economic) assessment and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, we determined that the use of PCM23 significantly enhances occupant comfort, improving the predicted mean vote by 17% and enhancing overall thermal comfort by 14%. The most effective configuration, a gable roof with integrated PCMs, outperformed a flat roof by reducing annual energy consumption by 20% (1103 kWh). This optimal design also yielded substantial economic and environmental benefits, including a 16.2 TD/m2 reduction in annual energy costs, a short investment payback period, and a 4% decrease in operational CO2 emissions. These results highlight the significant potential of pairing PCMs with passive architectural features to create more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and comfortable living environments.