Buildings play a central role in today’s energy and environmental challenges. Heating, cooling, and hot water consumption make them one of the largest contributors to energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the need to ensure healthy and comfortable indoor environments is growing as urban populations expand and climate conditions become more extreme. Phase change materials (PCMs) have emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges by enabling efficient thermal storage, adaptive insulation, and smarter use of renewable energy within the built environment.
This Special Issue focuses on the latest advances in the design, control, and application of PCMs to improve the energy performance of buildings and energy systems. We welcome contributions that showcase material innovations, integration of PCMs into building envelopes and HVAC systems, coupling with renewable energy sources, and advanced control methods that unlock their full potential. Both theoretical and experimental studies are encouraged, as well as interdisciplinary approaches that bridge material science, energy engineering, and building physics.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• PCM integration in building envelopes (walls, roofs, floors, windows) • Adaptive insulation and ventilation systems using PCMs • PCM applications in HVAC (condensers, evaporators, heat exchangers, ducts) • Coupling of PCMs with heat pumps, solar thermal, and DHW systems • Tunable PCMs activated by pressure, light, or electric current • Modeling, simulation, and experimental validation of PCM systems • Control strategies: AI, model predictive control (MPC), and digital twins • Advanced encapsulation and composite PCM technologies • Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment of PCM-based solutions • PCM-based thermal storage for renewable integration and demand-side management
This Special Issue aims to bring together academics, practitioners, and industry experts working at the intersection of materials, buildings, and energy systems. By consolidating progress in PCM research and applications, it will provide a platform for knowledge exchange and highlight how PCMs can contribute to smarter, more sustainable, and more resilient buildings.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Original Research
Perspective
Policy and Practice Reviews
Policy Brief
Review
Technology and Code
Keywords: Phase Change Materials (PCMs), Thermal Storage, Building Energy Performance, Adaptive Insulation, Renewable Energy Integration
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
