I would like to see that light bulb experiment done with the left chamber having an empty foil packet to eliminate the foil reflectivity of heat variable.

Back in the ‘80s I worked on a satellite earth station project where the equipment was installed in a little radio shack with walls and roof of phase change material. In Algeria. I always think of that as the perfect environment for it; high solar gain and fast nighttime cooling. All the equipment ran on batteries so it was essential to have a passive way to keep the electronics in the nominal operational temperature range. I am glad the technology is finally making it out of little shacks in the desert.

Good video… I would like to see a bit more explanation of ideal use cases vs non ideal use cases though. I like getting these introductions to new products but I want to know more now!

Now that's a cool video :). Really nicely edited and as usual nice presentation of facts (both advantages and disadvantages). As a suggestion, as a European viewer I would really appreciate if you could also specify data in SI units (100 BTU/sqft =~ 0.3 kWh/m2).

I was away from your channel for a long time and forgot what your name was. I wanted to find your channel again, so I typed "container homes" into the search bar and... it worked like a charm)

Perfect! Where I live winter lows are -40° and summer highs are 100°, with wild daily temperature swings from night to day in the spring and fall! Not only that, my roof is oriented for maximum exposure towards the southern sky! I’m going to have to dig into this product more! Thanks!!!

Interesting technology, I imagine it would be well suited to desert climates, where day / night temperature variation tends to be high

I have to wonder if, given the organic nature of the soy bean oil, the sheets featured encourage the infestation of pests like rats, mice, squirrels, or other rodents who are both capable of tearing through the material and have a keen sense of smell (many times greater than even the dogs used by police).

My experience with PCM is that it's not an insulation per se. It is, however, a thermal battery. I've used them in my greenhouses. As long as they are in the space, able to absorb heat, and release the heat, they work ok, enough to keep the plants from dying from freezing. They do not work well behind insulation, as the insulation does what it should, insulate. I also found that they are typically inefficient at collecting energy, and I painted the surface black, then they performed better. The next issue is, they are not thick enough, not enough thermal mass to last long. The price needs to come WAY DOWN, and be much thicker, denser!!! Then and only then could it really be found to be truely useful for the masses. Pun intended.

It is important to analyze in each case if there is benefit. This material can degrade overall energy costs or improve costs. Just like acoustic materials in cars, you have to understand and analyze the benefit. This requires accurate finite element thermal simulations.

That insulated foil reveal though 😎

I love it when I learn something new. Awesome video.

I love watching your content. Unlike most things available to watch these days, your videos leave me feeling smarter and not dumber.

A true professional, well done.

Thank you for the transcript in the video description, it's really useful. A+ video.

Excellent vid! I came across this material while researching a Trombe wall and solar chimneys.

Finally! I was wondering for a while now why such product was not on the market! it's not the first of its kind either....

One of your best videos. Thank you..

This offering is AWESOME WORK and GREAT DETAILS TOO! YOU SHINE ! a big THANK YOU from. Canada. J.

Looks like it'd be good to use in RV's/campers that are insulated but thin walled.

I saw something about using phase change beads in drywall a couple years ago, but it hadn't made it to market as a buyable product yet. There were some issues with flammability in what they were using. It's nice to see they've worked it out and it's getting into the market. Basically, it's like thermal mass, only even easier to tune to a desired temperature range.

I bought a very expensive ski jacket by Kiily that had this tech in a layer of the jacket. It is by far the best ski jacket I've ever known. The temperature is regulated wonderfully. It's spooky. This tech is real and I hope it makes the mainstream soon. £1000 jacket bought for £250. Best buy ever. Killy Black Knight. Luv and peace.

Great video! One thing you left out is how PCMs can improve the efficiency of air source heat pumps by allowing them to operate during the warmest outdoor air temperatures in winter and during the coolest outdoor air temperatures in summer. This requires a level of programming that thermostats don’t currently have, but you can sort of fake it with a schedule. If PCMs become more popular I hope they will add this ability as any easy to use feature in the future.

Hello from Undecided with Matt Ferrell! Great video!

Watching Undecided with Matt Ferrall and he recommended I check out this video. Yep yep good recommend. This is cool stuff. Thank you for the incredible thorough review.

This is the kind of stuff we need! I am impressed! Smart to make it out of soy based products, since soy is already federally subsidized for livestock feed.

As a building designer, I have been aware of this product and the science behind it for some time now. It should be noted that this product works best when in contact with the habitable space inner layer (plasterboard). So retrofitting or laying the product on top of the ceiling insulation is not ideal as it will compress the insulation and reduce system performance. The reflective foil packaging IS however best suited to being on the outer layer of insulation system, so perhaps it would be better to enclose the product in a cheaper medium and use a separate foil layer where it would be more effective. Building science is a tricky ever evolving subject, and there is no single magic bullet for every scenario. But I love PCM for its ability to add huge 'smart' thermal mass potential to an otherwise light building system. Cheers.

Thank you for your education, I got here from Undecided.

Haven't seen a vid of yours that I didn't like. Thanks for bringing insight to so many products!

This looks awesome, but I need more hard facts. You said that is not suited for tropical or coastal climates because it needs a large temp swing to work. How big of a temp change? 5 degrees C? 10? My house experiences a 15-degree swing during the dry season. Also, since it's puncture-resistant I think that it can sit under the galvanized roofing to provide some insulation just fine. The temp under there might jump to 50 C though.

Another clear and informative look at a fascinating way to save energy. Thank you.

Your awesome! These videos are really good. Thank you. I hope Texas is treating you good. My family and I moved here from Long Island in the 80s. I loved DFW but my parents didn't so we moved to the coast

This is fascinating. This could work well in a tiny house…shed….cheap structure. Could this be used in vans for nomads

Great as always! I would love to see some pros and cons from actual use in buildings. They are very expensive. Perhaps a diy video? :)

found this through undecided with Matt Farrell.....interesting that you note this is a supplement to insulation rather than a replacement so his cost comparison is not valid. will take a look at some of your other videos, but already liking the clear delivery of information...

I'm not familiar with that particular PCM product, but one of the things that confuses/irks me about the PCM products that I've seen come to market over the last decade or so is that they are formulated to have a single phase-change temperature. I don't know about everyone, everywhere, but _I_ and most everyone that I know doesn't have the same set point for their heating in the winter as they do the AC in the summer (and that's not just because of energy cost, comfort is also a factor). I'd like to see a PCM product that has 2 phase-change temperatures to accommodate a range of temperatures that you want to stay between (i.e. a comfortable high and a comfortable low).

Thanks for your videos and giving your honest opinion or best opinion on all the products or building methods.

I think you could have done a better job at explaining the enthalpy of fusion. The necessity of temperature fluctuations is due to the method of action: the phase change. The cells don't "recharge". As an example, to melt 1kg of 0º ice to 0º water you need 334 kJ! That's enough to heat up 1kg of 0º water to a scolding hot 80º!

Interesting but I'm skeptical. PCMs came out in the clothing insulation industry 30 years or more ago. The problems then were that the PCMS were paraffin based and were flammable. This doesn't seem to be flammable, great. But another problem was the time factor. That is, how long does it take for the liquid phase take to go back to the solid phase and vice versa?? If it takes only 1/2 hour or so, then while it helps, it isn't spreading the effect for a very long time. AND as you point out, it is quite expensive. It turned out to be much more of a gimmick than it was useful. I think there needs to be a real test on a system, installed as you suggest, to see what the difference in the energy cost. I was pretty interested as a manufacturer of insulated clothing years ago, but finally after testing, we realized that that particular product was basically worthless. @$3.50 / square ft, that is pretty darn expensive. If we took a home of 2000 square feet, are they suggesting that this would have a payback ever with the cost being $7000.00+? I DO like your analysis of other products, but, as I said, I'm not convinced..

This is actually really cool!!! Never considered this, have thought about thermal mass, and insulation, But this is a really efficient way to get “thermal mass” with much less volume. Really clever idea, hope it works!

The phase change process definitely has it's worth. This just seems like individual meals for the critters.

Hmm, it sounds like this material would be perfect for the climate in the Central California Valley where the temperature differential in summer can be quite drastic and the number of days of extreme heat seems to be lengthening. I might have to seriously look into this technology.

I'd love to see a detailed presentation on what applications PCM is best for.

Hi Belinda, a very helpful video. Your explanation is unbiased, giving a rounded view of the product and the science behind it. On a completely different note, I am an author, and your name is one of the characters in my latest novel.

Nice thanks for that informative video!

Hi Belinda. Perhaps I missed it, did you happen to mention a source for this insulation? Great video. Thank you.

Hi Belinda, I appreciate the effort you put into your videos, they have been very informative. I have an application idea for this PCM and wondered if you could point me to where I could find information on how to manufacture the substance? Thanks Peter.

Instead of Aluminum, you should use the material of a rescue blanket: golden on the outside and silver on the inside

Considering the weather here in the last three days. I put extra insulation in but now I want more cause I don’t do well in freezing weather!

Can this be used as thermal mass in a passive house?

I really enjoy your videos, and appreciate the broad range of materials reviewed. I find the phase change material a fascinating concept. I am wondering about a sustainability rating. . Raising crops for non-agricultural purposes has several environmental consequences - e.g. water, fuel, fertilizers - every great idea does have a cost we need to calculate and consider.

I love your videos! I would have never heard of this before.

Very interesting & I am thinking about whether it could be used in retrofitting our small (1br) cottage in North Norfolk (UK). Think probably not in this instance, but PCM do look very interesting & I love your channel.

Oh wow that is so Smart

Compressed earth block behaves as a phase change material based on how it absorbs or releases water vapor based on temperature and humidity. Works especially well in climates with sufficient diurnal temperature and humidity swings like the drier western US. Have you done a overview of compressed earth block technology yet? If not, I’d highly recommend it.

If you could use electrolysis on the boundary layer of a solid significantly changing its phase change temperature to liquid that may be useful for cooling. Going the other way would release heat. Just a thought.

I would like to know more about their application in the transportation of food and medicines, please 🙏.

Excellent review. Thank you

i was going to say, this stuff seems great, except when night time temperatures and nopt much different then daytime. i mean, if it is absorbing 120 degrees F during the day, and night time is still in the 100's, this stuff as no use. the houses temp will be a minimum of 100 at night and will get to 120 faster during the day. still need a heat pump. but now the heat pump will be working against the PCM insulation having to cool it down before the house will cool down. neat idea, and i am sure it has many applications, but for a home, it is only a supplement.

Nice Video about the material. But I would prefer SI units. Meter, °C, Watt, ....

Really Good

That would be great. Need to see if it's affordable in Canada when I redo my roof.

"Stores heat during the day, releases heat at night" - this probably makes sense for a tin container in the middle of a desert... But a reasonably designed house already has its energy storage - the foundation slab, coupled to the energy of Mother Earth - so the day-to-night temperature variations are imperceptible. Capturing the summer energy for heating in the winter is a whole different story... The Norwegians somehow managed to to it, but the upfront costs were astronomical.

Would there be any advantage to have multiple layers of which each layer would be at a different temperature of phase change? Maybe with an insulation layer between them.

Looks like oatmeal! Hope you're staying warm!

I’m curious if this would be useful as augmented insulation between wall studs on exterior walls? If so, how would this be secured? It’s seems that this stuff lays flat or is draped on a roof. Would this work in like basement exterior walls being finished if they could be secured in a vertical position?

Would you want to use this instead of or in conjunction with radiant barrier? Also, I'd love to see you do videos on aerogel and cork insulation.

Nice ! Could you do a review on seasonal thermal storages and thermochemical ones, like zeolite, calcium chloride and sodium acetate ? It's underrated !!

curious how this might work in a Trombe Wall. an outdoor solar collection box could be supplemented for an experiment. ideally, a design mixture of the two could heat a home overnight... with dampers helping to trap the heat gain during the day, preventing circulation & overheating a room. could route it through an ERV/HRV unit too.

More cool stuff. This kind of thermal advantage is much more efficient than solar electrical generation.

these would be very useful in passive solar buildings.

Any issues with the gaps between the pockets?

The key word here is efficiency. Is it efficient enough to absorb energy to actually make a difference. An incondencent lightbulb is good as a demonstration, but not good as an example of in reality since most of the world won't have 70 degrees C to work with. The colder you go, the higher standard you need of efficiency in order to make a difference. P.S I forgot this: You used concrete as an example of insolation. Concrete is a terrible insolator it conducts heat very well there by making useless preventer of heat movement.

Informative video! Where will I be able to buy this? I need it for a small project.

Interesting video. I question your comment about making it easier to walk around in the overhead space. There is nothing about the product that would support someone's weight and it will further block visual line-of-sight to ceiling joists. I too wonder about rodents being attracted to the product.

Of course as soon as everyone changes their electricity usage to cheaper off peak times it will no longer be off peak and cheaper so it’s only useless while the status quo remains the same.

Phase change insulation material will not work on top of attic insulation. The material has to be placed first before the blow in attic insulation. The whole idea of phase change insulation is not to provide r value but to provide energy storage. Why would you want to store the attic energy only to release it into the attic when the attic cools? The outer material being recyclable (aluminum im assuming) doesn't mean there is a facility that would take it.

Phase changing material has a set temperature it changes phases, but what if you want to change temperature? Go up or down on thermostat. Could then just insulation be better and if you want too cool house let air out

How to use in the Car cabin for cooling? Where can I get the PCM packet?

I need to cool a small box containing air (8 by 8 by 7 cm dimensions). If I suspend a PCM inside the box, will there be any appreciable change in the air temperature inside the box, at the operating temperature of PCM ?

Why is aerogel or vacuum panels insulation not used in buildings? Please do a video on pros and cons.

I sat waiting, when will Ms Carr get out the flame thrower!? Then was disappointed you only used a lighter this time. But still another great video.

mmmm yes! The forbidden oatmeal packets...

I am thinking in Melbourne these would generally be good, except we get heat waves that don't break for a few days where it stays over 30C for a few nights, is it a problem that they would be sucking up A/C by solidifying?

Hi, really informative video. I am interested to know more about couple of PCMs especially for +4c, +18c, +22c and -21c. What are the elements I should use to make and approximate mixture in %age? Can you please help me or you can connect me to the relevant experts? Thank you and regards

Thanks again ! I am working on the renovation of my housing coop 32 years old building and your video really help us to navigate the strange world of construction. Speaking of which, we have a really hard time to make our mind about windows ! I live up north in Canada and it is disturbing to see the low quality windows that are installed in general. We would love to have your insights on what makes a good windows. Just seeding ideas here :) Or what about certification ? s the German norm passivhaus way better than Energy Star for instance ?

i need to purches this where can i found this organic phase change material

Is it susceptible to mold, if it gets punctured,or sliced?

Interesting product, Is there an Environmental Performance Declaration (EPD) it? Just wondering if the aluminium is required? As another commenter suggested a comparison between this product and other high thermal mass products (bricks, unfired bricks/Adobe, concrete, aerated concrete) would be welcomed. Specifically considering; thermal conductivity, emissivity, water vapour diffusion resistance factor, density and specific heat capacity. Lastly I assume this could make a great vapour stop if the joints were taped.

Always love to watch smart women, love smart women. Excellent content.

where can this be purchased .

Has anyone actually reviewed the material to see if the 100 BTU/sqft is accurate? It looks like you deconstructed the material in your video but did you actually test it?

How do these compare with aero gels?

At what temperature does the phase change?

wow

I'm really confused about this phase change material. How does it work if its not exposed to the sun?

What are the temperature ranges for these products? Would we want to have two, one for each temperature range or are the ranges huge or maybe don't overlap enough?

you mention its application in roofing. Can it be used on walls?

What's stopping the organics from putrifying?

My question is how easy is to puncture, or shred opon contacting sharp objects.