A comprehensive review on positive cold energy storage technologies and applications in air conditioning with phase change materials

•A review on the cold energy storage.•The classification of cold storage technologies and applications are introduced.•The phase change materials are introduced.•The main work is focused on cold storage technologies or applications in air conditioning. Cold energy storage technology using solid–liquid phase change materials plays a very important role. Although many studies have covered applications of cold energy storage technology and introductions of cold storage materials, there is a relatively insufficient comprehensive review in this field compared with other energy storage technologies such as hot energy storage. This review introduced the air condition with cold storage devices, conducted a classified study on various cold storage technologies or applications and introduced these cold storage technologies and phase change materials whose phase change temperatures are in the range of 7–14 °C in detail. Meanwhile, the key issues to be solved in further research on cold storage technology are proposed. The results of the limited available references have shown that cold storage technology using PCMs has great potential in various fields; however, the present research work is still in its initial stage and requires further development.