Advanced Transparent Radiative Coolers: Materials, Design, and Applications

Passive radiative cooling is a sustainable approach to cool surfaces by thermal emission, without consuming external energy. Conventional radiative coolers provide broadband solar reflection to suppress solar heating but result in opaque surfaces, limiting their applications which require visible transparency. Transparent radiative coolers address these limitations by combining visible transparency and strong thermal emissions. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the principles and material/design challenges associated with transparent radiative coolers. We highlight recent advances in material platforms, including transparent ceramics and polymers, and explore photonic design strategies for achieving spectral selectivity. Key applications in buildings, automotive windows, solar cells, greenhouse films, and displays are discussed, demonstrating significant cooling performance and energy savings. We also outline current achievements and discuss the outlook for integrating these advanced cooling films into sustainable technologies.