Thermally Insulating Radiative Coolers: Fundamentals, Manufacturing, and Applications in Energy-Efficient Buildings

Abstract

The incremental requirements for thermal comfort of living environment significantly increase the burden of energy consumption on buildings, which has attracted widespread attention from researchers in this field. In response to this challenge, thermally insulating materials with radiative cooling function have been developed to effectively reduce building energy consumption in recent five years. This review puts emphasis on the working principles, representative advances, processing technologies, and energy-saving applications of state-of-the-art insulating coolers, including ceramic-based coolers, polymer-based coolers, and composite coolers. Comprehensive analysis and discussion are conducted based on the current research progresses, and the future development is forecasted. This summary with high timeliness aims to provide guidance for this emerging field.