New Method Cuts Building Energy Consumption by Up to 36.57%

The findings show that, when optimally configured, the system can reduce total annual energy consumption by up to 36.57% and lower annual CO₂ emissions by as much as 61,257 kilograms.

The study, titled “Extensive Parametric Analysis of Energy Consumption and CO₂ Emission Reduction in Residential Buildings Equipped with a Hybrid PCM–EPS System Using an Interpretable Surrogate Model,” was authored by Dr. Naser Mehrdadi, Maryam Pazouki, and Mohammad Pourmohammadi. It was published in the journal Energy Conversion and Management: X, which has an impact factor of 8.8.

Focusing on one of the world's major environmental challenges—high energy consumption in the building sector and its contribution to carbon dioxide emissions—the research examined the effects of hybrid phase-change material and expanded polystyrene (PCM–EPS) walls on the thermal and energy performance of residential buildings in Iran's temperate mountainous climate.

The researchers evaluated the complex design space of building systems using an extensive dataset comprising 10,192 simulation scenarios.

They also developed an interpretable surrogate model based on the response surface methodology (RSM), enabling rapid prediction of heating and cooling energy consumption. Compared with black-box models, this approach offers greater insight into the relationships between design parameters and building performance.

The results indicate that optimally designed PCM–EPS hybrid walls can deliver substantial improvements in energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

According to the findings, heating energy consumption can be reduced by up to 64.4%, cooling energy consumption by up to 20.4%, and total annual energy consumption by up to 36.57%. The system can also reduce a building's annual carbon dioxide emissions by up to 61,257 kilograms.

According to the University of Tehran, other key findings include a 47.3% increase in thermal comfort hours when heating and cooling systems are switched off, a substantial reduction in energy demand, and improved building sustainability through optimization of the building envelope.

In their conclusions, the researchers emphasized that the proposed data-driven framework could serve as an effective tool for designing high-performance PCM–EPS hybrid walls in temperate mountainous climates. The approach could also help pave the way for the development of low-carbon, energy-efficient buildings.