Building thermal comfort improving by using PCM and super insulators: Thermal and economic studies

The climate of the northern region of Morocco is Mediterranean, while the southern one is arid-type. They are both characterized by significant solar radiation during nearly eight months of the year, and as a result, direct and indirect solar energy contribute mainly to human discomfort in residential buildings. In this study, passive techniques such Phase Change Material (PCM) and super insulators (Aerogel and Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIP)) are used and analyzed to improve thermal comfort in the building. The resulting thermal behavior was studied using dynamic simulations and an experimental investigation of two test cavities located in the city of Casablanca. The potential energy savings to reach human comfort conditions were evaluated for a real scale cubicle. The comparison is performed with the active solution (air conditioning with classical local building wall composition), and the economic performances of these materials are evaluated by the Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate Return (IRR). Special emphasis is given to the bulling roof. The optimum insulation thicknesses and payback periods were determined in the present study over 20 years. The results showed that PCM, VIP, and Aerogel could provide respectively as much as 94 %, 76.51%, and 73.61% economic benefit during the cooling period and 59.3 %, 46.56%, and 44 % during the heating period than the case of the roof without insulation.