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Tandem daytime radiative cooling and solar power generation

Elsevier, Cell Reports Physical Science, Volume 6, 15 January 2025
Authors
Jia S., Huang M., Jiang X., Shen C., Chen S., Meng G. et al.

The daytime radiative cooling technique effectively dissipates heat by emitting thermal radiation while reflecting a majority of sunlight. However, its compatibility with solar cells for efficient energy conversion has posed challenges due to the need to reflect sunlight. Herein, we have successfully developed a transmission-type daytime radiation cooling system and designed a tandem structure that integrates daytime radiative cooling with solar cells. This device achieved up to 40 W/m2 cooling power density and up to 103.33 W/m2 photovoltaic power density in sunny weather conditions (with a solar cell power conversion efficiency of 11.42% and a bare solar cell efficiency of 12.92%). Simulation results demonstrate that increasing the heat transfer efficiency of cooling and reducing the absorptivity in the sunlight band of the emitter can further enhance device performance. This outcome presents a novel approach toward enhancing the practical implementation of tandem daytime radiative cooling and solar power generation.