Approach for the analysis of TES technologies aiming towards a circular economy: Case study of building-like cubicles

The objective of this study is to establish an initial framework to evaluate and improve the sustainability of technologies integrating thermal energy storage to come closer to a circular economy. This is applied to a case study for a building-like cubicle that includes different options of phase change materials. For the construction of a cubicle, materials can come from ores and virgin or recycled feedstock. In order to decrease the impact of materials and approach to a circular economy, the recycled content of materials at the start of life should be as high as possible. This recycled fraction in current supply depends on the available technologies for reintroducing the recycled materials in the production processes, together with virgin materials coming from primary sources.