Exploring the suitability of radiative cooling: Comparing daytime cooling production with cooling demand in buildings − A European perspective
This study assesses the feasibility of daytime radiative cooling (DRC) as a solution for meeting the cooling demands of buildings in Europe, emphasizing the importance of quantifying the potential. While previous studies have mapped radiative cooling potential, they often overlook the actual cooling...
| Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| Repository: | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:recercat.cat:10459.1/468778 |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.116214 https://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/468778 http://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/468778 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Daytime radiative cooling Cooling demand Cooling degree days |
| Summary: | This study assesses the feasibility of daytime radiative cooling (DRC) as a solution for meeting the cooling demands of buildings in Europe, emphasizing the importance of quantifying the potential. While previous studies have mapped radiative cooling potential, they often overlook the actual cooling needs of buildings. This research fills that gap by employing Kriging interpolation and the European Cooling Index (ECI) – Cooling Degree Days (CDD) correlation, and provides a spatial assessment of cooling demand in Europe in relation to DRC potential. The study introduces two indicators: (1) the number of floors that can be cooled by DRC and (2) the Cooling Coverage Percentage (CCP), which quantifies how much of a building’s cooling demand can be met by DRC. The results show that in southern Europe DRC can only partially meet cooling needs for low-rise buildings, while taller buildings experience limited coverage due to higher cooling demands. In contrast, northern regions with lower cooling demand demonstrate a greater potential for DRC, often meeting the needs of taller buildings. Case studies of Spanish cities reveal that building height and regional climate significantly influence DRC’s effectiveness in covering cooling needs, with northern cities achieving up to 90% coverage. In contrast southern cities like Valencia show limited feasibility, reaching only around 27% coverage. This information is valuable as an initial analysis to pinpoint the maximum potential of integrating DRC into building and serves as a basis for further developing strategies and actionable guidelines for implementing DRC at both building and city scales. |
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