Grinham Research Group

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Radiative Sky Cooling

Radiative Cooling

Project Overview

Radiative Sky Cooling technology represents a groundbreaking approach to passive cooling systems that harness the inherent cooling power of the night sky to enhance energy efficiency and reduce dependence on traditional air conditioning methods. This project aims to use the cooling potentials of radiative sky cooling towards additional properties like dehumidification and water harvesting.

Project Journey

Collaborative research with the Pierce Lab (Harvard University), Aizenberg Lab (Harvard University), and Yu Lab (Columbia University) is using advanced multi-spectral imaging and machine learning algorithms to identify the key structural features of butterfly and moth specifies needed to synthesize new materials with desired thermal performance.

Top view of experimental set up in the lab

Application

Project Team

Jonathan Grinham
Jack Alvarenga
Leonard Palmer
Tiffany Kalu
Nanfang Yu
Naomi Pierce
Richard Rabideau Childers
Anna Shneidman

This project is exploring ways to integrate radiative sky-cooling technology into architectural applications, such as facade systems. The 1:1 life-scale prototype of the water-capture wall system will be field-tested.

Sample of radiative cooling material
Image of lab experiment
In-lab testing of radiative sky cooling material
Image of lab experiment
In-lab testing feeding humid air through radiative sky cooling material
Image of outdoor testing
Outdoor experiment comparing radiative sky cooling material to control white paint
Speculative installation concept with hydronic radiative heating + cooling system