Doha: Using Phase Change Materials for building industries would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability, participants at a Qatar University webinar said.
The webinar title ‘Phase Change Materials for Building Industry’ discussed how buildings consume huge energy. It disclosed that buildings consume 40% of the world’s energy, and 21% of greenhouse emissions come from buildings.
In Qatar, 65% of produced electricity is consumed by cooling systems in all buildings. Using heat absorbers as building components can help transform thermal energy for heating or cooling and, in turn, protect the buildings from overheating.
The construction industry is responsible for consuming large amounts of energy. The development of new materials to increase the thermal efficiency of buildings is more imperative than ever.
During the last decades, the integration of PCMs into structures has gained interest. PCMs can reduce the temperature variations and decrease the energy consumption of buildings due to their capability to absorb and release energy from/in the environment.
Prof. Igor Krupa, Research Associate Professor at the Centre for Advanced Materials at Qatar University, in his lecture titled, ‘Shape-Sterbilised Phase Change Materials for Building Industries,’ highlighted using PCMs in buildings without causing more expenses to energy cost.
Prof. Krupa said that bioclimatic buildings that utilize natural elements like sun, wind, and air to produce energy minimize electricity use.
“PCMs encourages designing buildings based on local climate, providing thermal and visual comfort, making use of other environmental sources to absorb and release thermal energy,” Prof. Krupa said.
He noted that paraffin wax, a white or colourless soft solid derived from petroleum, coal, or oil shale, is used for a broad melting range, is environmentally harmless and readily available, and cheap.
According to Prof. Krupa, PCMs can be used in blocks and bricks production, temperature management in rooms, thermal food protection and cooling control.
