The demand for the development of new techniques for the use and storage of renewable energy has grown steadily due to rapid industrialization, high energy consumption, and the grave consequences of increasing greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., global warming and climate change). One of the most applicable techniques for the storage of thermal energy (obtained from renewable resources) is the application of phase change materials (PCMs). Because of their high tailorability, the use of polyurethanes (PUs) is recognized as a preferable option in the fabrication of high efficiency energy storage devices to achieve desired phase change characteristics. Therefore, this review focuses on the recent development, thermophysical properties, and applications of phase change PUs in storing thermal energy. In addition, the discussion was extended to describe the diverse strategies (like structural modification and nanocomposite formulation) used to improve the thermal energy storage characteristics of PUs, the applicability of PUs as an encapsulating material, their current limitations, and the future challenges of this research field.

由于快速的工业化，高能耗以及温室气体排放量增加的严重后果（例如全球变暖和气候变化），对开发使用和存储可再生能源的新技术的需求稳步增长。相变材料（PCM）的应用是一种最适用的热能存储技术（可再生资源）。由于它们的高度可调节性，因此在制造高效能存储装置以实现所需的相变特性方面，聚氨酯（PU）的使用被认为是优选的选择。因此，本综述着重于相变PU在热能存储方面的最新进展，热物理性质和应用。此外，