Sonochemically-coated transparent wood with ZnO: Passive radiative cooling materials for energy saving applications

Xin Hu, Yingbo Zhang, Jing Zhang, Hongyu Yang, Faming Wang, Bin Fei, and Nuruzzaman Noor

Renewable Energy, 2022, vol. 193, issue C, 398-406

Abstract: Improving the energy efficiency of buildings through the use of enhanced passive radiative cooling materials would have a great relief to the global energy and climate crises. Through a purely solution-based sonochemical synthesis method raising no requirements on temperature and vacuum, we fabricated a ZnO-coated transparent wood (CTW) composite with high emissivity (∼0.91) across infrared wavelengths, allowing great potential for radiative cooling applications. The CTW exhibited a reasonable luminous transmittance (∼66.04% at a film thickness of ∼360 nm) for both visual comfort and luminous purposes. The ZnO coating improves the mechanical (43% enhancement of tensile strength) and thermal insulation (0.157 W.m−1.K−1) properties of the transparent wood substrate, making it a potential replacement for existing glazing materials. Energy-saving simulations for Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chongqing have revealed that CTW can save up to ∼17% more energy than conventional commercial window materials.

Keywords: Transparent wood; Sonochemical coating; Radiative cooling; Energy saving; Zinc oxide thin film (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:193:y:2022:i:c:p:398-406

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.05.008

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