Global radiative sky cooling potential adjusted for population density and cooling demand

Abstract

Thanks to recent advances in nanophotonics and scalable manufacturing of metamaterials, radiative sky cooling has emerged as a “self-reliant” cooling technology with various potential applications. However, not every region across the globe is well suited for the adoption of radiative cooling technologies, depending on the local climate, population density, cooling demand, air conditioning saturation, economic prosperity, etc. Because the atmospheric downward longwave radiation, especially the portion from the atmospheric window (8–13 µm), is substantially affected by weather conditions, the performance of a well-designed radiative cooler can be vastly different across regions and seasons. Here, we first map the global radiative sky cooling potential in the form of net cooling power density. We then further evaluate it based on the global population density and cooling demand. In terms of the adjusted potential, we show that geographically and demographically “transitional” regions, located between wet and dry climates as well as sparsely and densely populated regions, are better suited for the adoption of radiative cooling technologies because of their temperate climate and moderate population density. Even in densely populated and humid regions, the cumulative impact and other accompanying benefits must not be ignored.