Performance Demonstration and Evaluation of the Synergetic Application of Thermochromic Window and Phase Change Material in Passive Buildings

Abstract As two of the most popular energy efficient materials, vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) glazing and phase change material (PCM) were associated together for the first time. The synergetic application performance was demonstrated in a full-scale passive room and evaluated via Energy Saving Index (ESI). ESI, a novel and concise index, can be used to evaluate the passive application performance of materials or components from an energy standpoint and characterize the performance of a passive building material or component from a common standpoint. The results showed that the synergetic ESI was higher than the solo ESI of VO 2 glazing or PCM, which means that the synergetic application of VO 2 glazing and PCM could make further improvement on the thermal comfort degree of a passive room.