A material may be included in a cooling film or cooling panel to achieve cooling even under direct solar irradiation. The material includes one or more constituent materials and an outer surface configured to interact thermally with the atmosphere and with solar radiation. The material exhibits an emissivity of at least 0.8 in spectral range of 5 μm to 15 μm, an ultraviolet reflectivity of at least 0.5 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, an ultraviolet absorptivity of at least 0.75 in the spectral range of 275 nm to 375 nm, or a combination thereof. A cooling film, or cooling panel, may be affixed to an exterior surface of a vehicle, structure, or system to provide cooling even under direct solar irradiance.

Systems and methods for radiative cooling and heating are provided. For example, systems for radiative cooling can include a top layer including one or more polymers, where the top layer has high emissivity in at least a portion of the thermal spectrum and an electromagnetic extinction coefficient of approximately zero, absorptivity of approximately zero, and high transmittance in at least a portion of the solar spectrum, and further include a reflective layer including one or more metals, where the reflective layer has high reflectivity in at least a portion of the solar spectrum.

Systems and methods for radiative cooling and heating are provided. For example, systems for radiative cooling can include a top layer including one or more polymers, where the top layer has high emissivity in at least a portion of the thermal spectrum and an electromagnetic extinction coefficient of approximately zero, absorptivity of approximately zero, and high transmittance in at least a portion of the solar spectrum, and further include a reflective layer including one or more metals, where the reflective layer has high reflectivity in at least a portion of the solar spectrum.

A solar thermal energy device is provided. Also provided is a method of making a solar thermal energy device.

A solar thermal energy device is provided. Also provided is a method of making a solar thermal energy device.

Disclosed are methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces. In particular, the invention enables the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems since under certain conditions less energy for heating or cooling is required to maintain, within certain boundaries, desirable temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other enclosed spaces.

In some instances the invention is in part based on dynamically changing functional elements with variable properties, or effective properties, in terms of their electromagnetic radiative behavior and/or their thermal energy storage properties, or the spatial distribution of the stored thermal energy, which permits the application of methods and algorithms to control the overall thermal behavior of the entire structure in such a way that desired levels of inside temperature can be reached with reduced consumption of external energy (typically electricity, gas, oil, or coal).

In some instances no conventional heating of cooling is required at all, whereas in other instances the expenditure of external energy for conventional heating or cooling is reduced. In some instances the invention enables the reduction of the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

Disclosed are methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces. In particular, the invention enables the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems since under certain conditions less energy for heating or cooling is required to maintain, within certain boundaries, desirable temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other enclosed spaces.

In some instances the invention is in part based on dynamically changing functional elements with variable properties, or effective properties, in terms of their electromagnetic radiative behavior and/or their thermal energy storage properties, or the spatial distribution of the stored thermal energy, which permits the application of methods and algorithms to control the overall thermal behavior of the entire structure in such a way that desired levels of inside temperature can be reached with reduced consumption of external energy (typically electricity, gas, oil, or coal).

In some instances no conventional heating of cooling is required at all, whereas in other instances the expenditure of external energy for conventional heating or cooling is reduced. In some instances the invention enables the reduction of the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

The present invention discloses a radiative cooling device and a method of manufacturing the same. Specifically, the radiative cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reflective layer formed on a substrate and responsible for reflecting sunlight having wavelengths corresponding to ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions; and a radiative cooling layer formed on the reflective layer and responsible for absorbing sunlight having a wavelength corresponding to a mid-infrared region and emitting the sunlight as heat, wherein the radiative cooling layer includes a first radiation layer including an uneven pattern; and a second radiation layer formed on the first radiation layer and having a refractive index different from that of the first radiation layer.

The present invention discloses a radiative cooling device and a method of manufacturing the same. Specifically, the radiative cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reflective layer formed on a substrate and responsible for reflecting sunlight having wavelengths corresponding to ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions; and a radiative cooling layer formed on the reflective layer and responsible for absorbing sunlight having a wavelength corresponding to a mid-infrared region and emitting the sunlight as heat, wherein the radiative cooling layer includes a first radiation layer including an uneven pattern; and a second radiation layer formed on the first radiation layer and having a refractive index different from that of the first radiation layer.

A solar thermophotovoltaic system has a heat exchanger containing a heat exchange fluid, and a thin-film integrated spectrally-selective plasmonic absorber emitter (ISSAE) in direct contact with an outer surface of the heat exchanger, the ISSAE including an ultra-thin non-shiny metal layer that is strongly absorbing in a solar spectral range and strongly reflective in an infrared spectral range. The metal layer has an inner surface in direct contact with an outer surface of the heat exchanger. A photovoltaic cell support structure with an inner surface in a concentric configuration partially surrounds the ISSAE; and an airgap separates the support structure and the outer surface of the metal layer. Photovoltaic cells are arranged on a portion of the inner surface of the support structure to receive emissions from the ISSAE, and a solar energy collector/concentrator allows solar radiation to impinge a portion of the metal layer.