Evaluation of the energy-saving and carbon-reduction effects of bamboo-based PCM envelope in cold climate regions of China

Bamboo, a bio-based building material, provides outstanding mechanical properties, thermal performance, and carbon storage capacity. However, despite the significant advantages of bamboo in terms of sustainability, its potential has yet to be fully realised in building materials and structures. The continued reliance on traditional materials necessitates the exploration of innovative alternatives. One such approach is the integration of bamboo fibres with phase change materials (PCMs), which shows promise in improving the thermal stability and cyclic utilisation rate of PCMs. This study designed a bamboo composite envelope (BCE) structure consisting of laminated bamboo and bamboo-based PCMs to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in buildings in cold and severe cold regions of China. The performance of the proposed BCE was compared with that of traditional reinforced concrete (RC) through three evaluation methods: field measurements, energy consumption simulations, and carbon emission assessment. The BCE outperformed RC in terms of both energy savings and carbon reduction. Specifically, the BCE reduced heating energy consumption by 3.01%–11.57% and cooling energy consumption by 4.67%–8.39%. During the building’s operational phase, carbon emissions were reduced by 2.76%–7.61%. These findings highlight the significant potential of the newly developed BCE as a sustainable solution for building envelope design, providing an innovative approach to enhancing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in cold climates. Highlights Demonstrates a bamboo composite envelope (BCE) structure combining laminated bamboo and bamboo-based phase change materials, offering superior thermal stability and improved energy efficiency in buildings. Achieves significant energy savings of 3.01%–11.57% for heating and 4.67%–8.39% for cooling in BCE buildings compared to traditional RC structures. Evaluates the BCE’s carbon reduction potential during the operational phase, achieving a 2.76%–7.61% reduction in carbon emissions in cold and severe cold climate regions of China.