Progress and application of phase change material in solar thermal energy: An overview

It is an essential and most abundant energy resource on earth. Solar energy can be caught and utilized in a few different ways and as a sustainable energy source is a significant part of our virtuous energy future. Its technology can be passive solar or active solar depending on how it can store excess energy and converting into solar power the storage of solar energy require a storage medium or accumulator. It can help to store excess solar energy for future use. One of the best methods to store heat energy from the sun is by making use of phase change material (PCMs) due to a huge ton of captured latent heat and isothermal kind of PCM during heat expansion and dismissal during phase change. PCM becomes an ideal candidate for a thermal energy storage medium in building applications. Now a day PCM gained special attention in building applications like water and air heating application, building-integrated system (ceilings, walls, and floor), H.V.A.C/solar absorption system for building, and other useful applications PCM concrete, PCM shutters, solar cooker, and solar dryer. In this paper, an attempt has been made to provide an overview of the progress and application of PCM in solar thermal energy. ? 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Materials, Processing & Characterization.