Dynamic electrochromism for all-season radiative thermoregulation

Chenxi Sui, Jiankun Pu, Ting-Hsuan Chen, Jiawei Liang, Yi-Ting Lai, Yunfei Rao, Ronghui Wu, Yu Han, Keyu Wang, Xiuqiang Li, Venkatasubramanian Viswanathan () and Po-Chun Hsu ()
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Chenxi Sui: University of Chicago
Jiankun Pu: Carnegie Mellon University
Ting-Hsuan Chen: Duke University
Jiawei Liang: Duke University
Yi-Ting Lai: Duke University
Yunfei Rao: Duke University
Ronghui Wu: University of Chicago
Yu Han: University of Chicago
Keyu Wang: Duke University
Xiuqiang Li: Duke University
Venkatasubramanian Viswanathan: Carnegie Mellon University
Po-Chun Hsu: University of Chicago

Nature Sustainability, 2023, vol. 6, issue 4, 428-437

Abstract: Abstract Radiative thermoregulation can reduce the energy consumption for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) in buildings, and therefore contribute substantially to climate change mitigation. Electrochromism, a phenomenon in which a material exhibits reversible colour changes under an external electrical stimulus, can help control the heat balance of buildings in response to fluctuating weather conditions; however, its implementation has been largely limited to visible and near-infrared wavelength regimes. Here we develop an aqueous flexible electrochromic design for use as a building envelop based on graphene ultra-wideband transparent conductive electrode and reversible copper electrodeposition, in which the thermal emissivity can be tailored to vary between 0.07 and 0.92 with excellent long-term durability. Building energy simulations show that our design as building envelopes can save on year-round operational HVAC energy consumption across the United States by up to 43.1 MBtu on average in specific zones. Such dynamic emissivity tunability can further serve as a non-destructive technological solution to retrofit poorly insulated or historic buildings. Our work suggests a feasible pathway to radiative thermoregulation for more energy-efficient HVAC and solving some of the global climate change issues.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-022-01023-2

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