Passive radiative cooling solutions integrated into building facades to improve energy efficiency
RADIACOOL develops passive architectural solutions for radiative cooling in buildings, combining aluminum facade modules with spectrally selective nanotechnology coatings. The modules, designed in a vertical configuration, can be used in two ways: as passive elements integrated into the facade and as hybrid modules coupled with HVAC coils.
Aluminum, which is lightweight and recyclable, enables innovative geometries that can be manufactured on an industrial scale, while the nanocoating (transparent, spray-applied, and curable at room temperature) combines solar reflectance and thermal emissivity to maximize heat dissipation.
project involves the construction of instrumented prototypes to validate the solutions under real-world conditions, while BIM modeling and CFD simulations will optimize the design and quantify energy savings. A heat dissipation capacity of 100 W/m² is expected under adverse conditions.
WHY THIS project?
Rising global temperatures have caused a surge in energy demand for cooling: according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy consumption for air conditioning has tripled since 1990. Buildings account for 33% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU (EEA, 2023), and an estimated 75% of Europe’s building stock is energy-inefficient. Heat waves are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, making it urgent to find passive, low-environmental-impact solutions for thermal control in buildings.
Objectives
The over goal of the “ project ” is to design, develop, optimize, and validate passive architectural solutions based on radiative cooling to improve energy efficiency in buildings, including new designs for facade elements and nanotechnology-based coatings that enable thermal control.
01
Design and analyze different facade geometries to optimize the performance of solar panels.
02
To study the feasibility and scalability of module manufacturing.
03
Optimizing a spectrally selective nanocoating.
04
Optimization of the scaling process and application of the nanocoating.
05
Install the sensors and monitor the prototypes.
06
Achieve a heat dissipation rate due to direct solar radiation of at least 100 W/m² in the hybrid system and a surface temperature that is 3 °C lower on the building envelope in the passive system.
project CPP2024-011424 funded by