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Switchable and Tunable Radiative Cooling: Mechanisms, Applications, and Perspectives
Xuzhe Zhao1,2, Jiachen Li3,4, Kaichen Dong1,2
1Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Institute of Data and Information, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
ACS Nano
|July 2, 2024
Summary
Buildings waste billions on energy for heating and cooling. Switchable and tunable radiative coolers (STRC) offer a promising, energy-free solution for all-season thermal management by reflecting heat into space.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Sustainable Energy
- Optics
Background:
- Building energy consumption in the US exceeds $430 billion annually.
- Approximately 48% of this energy is used for space thermal management.
- This highlights a critical need for efficient building thermal management solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current switchable and tunable radiative cooler (STRC) technologies.
- To analyze the advantages and challenges of STRCs for large-scale applications.
- To propose future development directions for STRCs.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing STRC technologies.
- Analysis of benefits and challenges for practical implementation.
- Exploration of photonic and microfabrication advancements.
Main Results:
- Radiative cooling technologies leverage photonic and microfabrication for energy-free cooling.
- STRCs offer potential for all-season energy savings in variable climates.
- Current STRC technologies are gaining attention for their unique capabilities.
Conclusions:
- STRCs represent a significant advancement in energy-free cooling.
- Addressing challenges is crucial for the widespread adoption of STRCs.
- Further development is needed to optimize STRCs for diverse applications.
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