Self-adaptive and switchable solar heating and radiative cooling system

Radiative cooling has been proven as a highly promising and scalable technology towards carbon neutrality and energy saving in buildings. However, in many climate zones where ambient temperature varies significantly throughout the year, it is often desirable to switch off the radiative cooling and instead switch on the heating (e.g., during winter). In this study, we have developed a smart, scalable nanophotonic system with the capability of switching between solar heating and radiative cooling. Through optical and photonic simulation and experimentation, the detailed structure of our smart thermal management system is tested and optimized for tunability in both the solar spectrum and MIR range. We believe that our design will be a valuable reference to studies on smart thermal management, as well as a practicable and scalable solution to energy-efficient buildings, pathing the way towards sustainability.