Phase change materials—A sustainable way of solar thermal energy storage

Abstract

Renewable energy sources are time-dependent in nature and the effective utilization of devices based on renewable energy requires appropriate energy storage medium to commensurate the mismatch between energy supply and demand. Solar energy is the primary source of energy among renewable energy sources which can be used for a wide variety of electrical and thermal applications. Intermittent and unpredictable nature of solar energy generally necessitates a storage medium in between that stores energy whenever is available in excess and discharges energy whenever it is inadequate. Therefore, the storage of thermal energy becomes necessary in order to meet the larger energy demand and to achieve high efficiency. Thermal energy storage using latent heat-based phase change materials (PCM) tends to be the most effective form of thermal energy storage that can be operated for wide range of low-, medium-, and high-temperature applications. This chapter explains the need, desired characteristics, principle, and classification of thermal energy storage. It also summarizes the selection criteria, potential research areas, testing procedures, possible application, and case studies of PCM-based thermal energy storage system.