Improving the thermal performance of building envelope is an important way to save building energy consumption. The phase change energy storage building envelope is helpful to effective use of re-newable energy, reducing building operational energy consumption, increasing building thermal com-fort, and reducing environment pollution and greenhouse gas emission. This paper presents the con-cept of ideal energy-saving building envelope, which is used to guide the building envelope material selection and thermal performance design. This paper reviews some available researches on phase change building material and phase change energy storage building envelope. At last, this paper pre-sents some current problems needed further research. Improving the thermal performance of building envelope is an important way to save building energy consumption. The phase change energy storage building envelope is helpful to effective use of re-newable energy, reducing building operational energy consumption, increasing building thermal com-fort, and reducing environment pollution and greenhouse gas emission. This paper presents the con-cept of ideal energy-saving building envelope, which is used to guide the building envelope material selection and thermal performance design. This paper reviews some available researches on phase change building material and phase change energy storage building envelope. At last, this paper pre-sents some current problems needed further research.