Analysis of phase change materials for regulating the thermal environment of greenhouses in different climatic conditions in Highland areas

Abstract

Phase change materials have good peak-shaving and valley-filling effects, which are effective for improving the thermal environment of passive thermal storage buildings. In this paper, phase change materials were applied to a solar greenhouse in the plateau area, and the indoor temperature is measured and analyzed under different meteorological conditions. It was concluded that when phase change materials were applied in the central region of Yunnan, where the temperature difference between day and night was large, it had a significant improvement effect on the thermal environment inside the solar greenhouse. The average outdoor air temperature, the maximum outdoor temperature difference between day and night, and solar radiation were the main factors affecting the temperature in the greenhouse. By analyzing and evaluating the effect of using phase change materials in solar greenhouses under different outdoor climate conditions, the advantages and limitations of using phase change greenhouses in different areas of the plateau were discussed.