Dr. Edwin Tso and his research team won the Outstanding Paper Award in Energy Sustainability 2022, an International Conference organized by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), on July 12 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

About the paper:
Passive radiative cooling provides electricity-free cooling effects to the building by reflecting sunlight and emitting mid-infrared thermal energy, saving energy consumption of air conditioning systems. However, the buildings need warming in winter which the current radiative coolers cannot achieve. Inspired by the photonic structure of the skin on the Chameleon, Dr. TSO and his research team developed a thermochromic cooler that can automatically change its color subject to the ambient temperature. In cold weather, the cooler is transparent, allowing the sunlight to pass through. When the ambient temperature increases above the cooler’s transition temperature, the cooler will become white, reflecting the incoming solar irradiance and producing cooling. Therefore, the indoor thermal environment can be smartly regulated in different weather conditions, significantly saving the building energy consumption in 4 seasons of the year. Most importantly, this technology contributes to the goal of carbon neutrality before 2050 in Hong Kong, benefiting both the environment and society.