Mapping the all-day radiative sky-cooling potential of India for a sustainable environment

Radiative cooling is one of the passive methods of cooling by exchanging radiative heat between a surface and the cold universe through an atmospheric window (8 to 13 mu m). The effectiveness of radiative cooling depends on the optical properties of the surfaces and the local meteorological conditions. It is essential to determine the local cooling potential to implement radiative cooling strategies. In this research, India's annual and seasonal average radiative cooling potential was computed for 437 locations from meteorological data and the map has been developed to meet the energy-efficient cooling requirements of the Indian Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) 2019 and to fulfil the targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The results show that most locations in India have a cooling potential between 60 to 140 W/m2. The minimum area required for radiative cooling to meet India's cooling demand is also evaluated. These results will help disseminate radiative cooling technologies in India to achieve ICAP and SDG targets.