Efficient latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems can be potentially employed to improve the energy saving capability and thermal performance of buildings. In this paper, a new coupled cooling method with phase-change chairs (PCC) and phase-change plates (PCPs) is firstly proposed to solve the cooling problem in isolated environments, such as mine refuge chamber with high temperature. A mathematical model of the new coupled cooling system is developed, validated, and applied to evaluate the heat transfer, temperature control effect, and operation optimization. The-results show that when the number of PCPs is increased from 180 to 260, the proposed system helps decrease room temperature by 0.3 degrees C. For every 1 degrees C increase in melting temperature or for 1 degrees C decrease in cold storage temperature, the room temperature increases by 0.5 degrees C. Compared to the coupled cooling method with PCP alone, the proposed system leads to a temperature reduction of 1.4 degrees C in the first 50 h, while the volume occupied by the cooling system is reduced by 31.4%. Therefore, the technical proposal of combining PCC and PCP is recommended to further improve the indoor thermal comfort and reduce the occupied space without significant utilization of the phase-change materials (PCM). (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.