Combination of Passive and Active Solar Heating with Thermal Energy Storage.

This study investigated the impact of individual and combination of different sources of heating (passive solar heating, electric oil-heater, and solar air heater) in a pilot-scale building containing phase change material (PCM) for a potential reduction in energy consumption while maintaining thermal comfort. Unlike most of the recent simulations and modelling studies, this impact was tested experimentally using two identical control and test huts located at the University of Auckland. The control hut was equipped with standard gypsum boards while the test hut had gypsum boards containing PCM (PureTemp 20, PT20).