Energy saving potential of passive radiative cool coating in high-rise data center with neighboring infrastructure

Yin Hoi Chan; Yi Fan Wang; Ka Chung Chan; Kaixin Lin; Tsz Chung Ho; Chi Yan Tso; Christopher Yu Hang Chao; Sau Chung Fu

doi:10.1016/j.energy.2024.133540

Energy saving potential of passive radiative cool coating in high-rise data center with neighboring infrastructure

Yin Hoi Chan
, Yi Fan Wang
, Ka Chung Chan
, Kaixin Lin
, Tsz Chung Ho
, Chi Yan Tso
, Christopher Yu Hang Chao
, Sau Chung Fu^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Energy and Environment

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

To coordinate with the evolution of I&T, it is indicated to enhance the number of data center (DC) worldwide, which involves enormous cooling demand that may lead to energy wastage if the facility is not constructed energy-efficiently, impeding decarbonization. Passive radiative cooler (PRC) have exhibited their energy-saving capability in many studies. Being a windowless building, DC has extensive coverage area for PRC comparing to other buildings that require outdoor visual access. The power-saving potential of a dual-layer daytime radiative cooling paint (DDRCC) in a high-rise DC was investigated at multi-building scale using a self-created site model under Hong Kong's humid subtropical climate. Besides the roof, which has been the target PRC-employed surface in previous studies, this work deployed DDRCC on roof and vertical façade of the DC, attaining optimal saving of 652–821 kW and cooling power of 23.4–29.5 W/m², demonstrating its practicability in high-rise building. DDRCC accomplished cooling power of 2.5–48.0 W/m² in scenarios with various configuration of PRC-utilized envelope. Additionally, for the site studied, the cooling power of DDRCC enhanced with aspect ratio when the height of adjacent buildings was comparable to the DC. DDRCC was competent to achieve power-saving with walls of different thermal resistances. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd.

Original language	English
Article number	133540
Journal	Energy
Volume	312
Online published	22 Oct 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.133540
Publication status	Published - 15 Dec 2024

Funding

This work was financially supported by Chinachem Group (project no. PolyU P0043721) and funded by the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Financial Support for Non-PAIR Research Centres (Projects no. PolyU P0043833), and Start-up Fund for RAPs under the Strategic Hiring Scheme from PolyU (UGC) (Projects no. PolyU P0046277). This work was also supported by Environment and Conservation Fund (Project No. 35/2022), a grant from Innovation and Technology Fund (no. ITS/128/22FP), a grant from the General Research Fund (no. 11200923), and a grant from the Research Impact Fund (no. R1018-22), the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Research Keywords

Building energy simulation
Cool paint
Data center
Energy saving
Passive cooling

RGC Funding Information

RGC-funded

Access Output

10.1016/j.energy.2024.133540

Other Access Options

Check CityUHK Library

Permanent Link

Right click to copy link

Cite this

@article{3f67091f566c4c1cb5124dbceba85295,

title = "Energy saving potential of passive radiative cool coating in high-rise data center with neighboring infrastructure",

abstract = "To coordinate with the evolution of I\&T, it is indicated to enhance the number of data center (DC) worldwide, which involves enormous cooling demand that may lead to energy wastage if the facility is not constructed energy-efficiently, impeding decarbonization. Passive radiative cooler (PRC) have exhibited their energy-saving capability in many studies. Being a windowless building, DC has extensive coverage area for PRC comparing to other buildings that require outdoor visual access. The power-saving potential of a dual-layer daytime radiative cooling paint (DDRCC) in a high-rise DC was investigated at multi-building scale using a self-created site model under Hong Kong's humid subtropical climate. Besides the roof, which has been the target PRC-employed surface in previous studies, this work deployed DDRCC on roof and vertical fa{\c c}ade of the DC, attaining optimal saving of 652–821 kW and cooling power of 23.4–29.5 W/m2, demonstrating its practicability in high-rise building. DDRCC accomplished cooling power of 2.5–48.0 W/m2 in scenarios with various configuration of PRC-utilized envelope. Additionally, for the site studied, the cooling power of DDRCC enhanced with aspect ratio when the height of adjacent buildings was comparable to the DC. DDRCC was competent to achieve power-saving with walls of different thermal resistances. {\textcopyright} 2024 Elsevier Ltd.",

keywords = "Building energy simulation, Cool paint, Data center, Energy saving, Passive cooling",

author = "Chan, \{Yin Hoi\} and Wang, \{Yi Fan\} and Chan, \{Ka Chung\} and Kaixin Lin and Ho, \{Tsz Chung\} and Tso, \{Chi Yan\} and Chao, \{Christopher Yu Hang\} and Fu, \{Sau Chung\}",

year = "2024",

month = dec,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.energy.2024.133540",

language = "English",

volume = "312",

journal = "Energy",

issn = "0360-5442",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Energy saving potential of passive radiative cool coating in high-rise data center with neighboring infrastructure

AU - Chan, Yin Hoi

AU - Wang, Yi Fan

AU - Chan, Ka Chung

AU - Lin, Kaixin

AU - Ho, Tsz Chung

AU - Tso, Chi Yan

AU - Chao, Christopher Yu Hang

AU - Fu, Sau Chung

PY - 2024/12/15

Y1 - 2024/12/15

N2 - To coordinate with the evolution of I&T, it is indicated to enhance the number of data center (DC) worldwide, which involves enormous cooling demand that may lead to energy wastage if the facility is not constructed energy-efficiently, impeding decarbonization. Passive radiative cooler (PRC) have exhibited their energy-saving capability in many studies. Being a windowless building, DC has extensive coverage area for PRC comparing to other buildings that require outdoor visual access. The power-saving potential of a dual-layer daytime radiative cooling paint (DDRCC) in a high-rise DC was investigated at multi-building scale using a self-created site model under Hong Kong's humid subtropical climate. Besides the roof, which has been the target PRC-employed surface in previous studies, this work deployed DDRCC on roof and vertical façade of the DC, attaining optimal saving of 652–821 kW and cooling power of 23.4–29.5 W/m2, demonstrating its practicability in high-rise building. DDRCC accomplished cooling power of 2.5–48.0 W/m2 in scenarios with various configuration of PRC-utilized envelope. Additionally, for the site studied, the cooling power of DDRCC enhanced with aspect ratio when the height of adjacent buildings was comparable to the DC. DDRCC was competent to achieve power-saving with walls of different thermal resistances. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd.

AB - To coordinate with the evolution of I&T, it is indicated to enhance the number of data center (DC) worldwide, which involves enormous cooling demand that may lead to energy wastage if the facility is not constructed energy-efficiently, impeding decarbonization. Passive radiative cooler (PRC) have exhibited their energy-saving capability in many studies. Being a windowless building, DC has extensive coverage area for PRC comparing to other buildings that require outdoor visual access. The power-saving potential of a dual-layer daytime radiative cooling paint (DDRCC) in a high-rise DC was investigated at multi-building scale using a self-created site model under Hong Kong's humid subtropical climate. Besides the roof, which has been the target PRC-employed surface in previous studies, this work deployed DDRCC on roof and vertical façade of the DC, attaining optimal saving of 652–821 kW and cooling power of 23.4–29.5 W/m2, demonstrating its practicability in high-rise building. DDRCC accomplished cooling power of 2.5–48.0 W/m2 in scenarios with various configuration of PRC-utilized envelope. Additionally, for the site studied, the cooling power of DDRCC enhanced with aspect ratio when the height of adjacent buildings was comparable to the DC. DDRCC was competent to achieve power-saving with walls of different thermal resistances. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd.

KW - Building energy simulation

KW - Cool paint

KW - Data center

KW - Energy saving

KW - Passive cooling

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85207242693

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85207242693&origin=recordpage

U2 - 10.1016/j.energy.2024.133540

DO - 10.1016/j.energy.2024.133540

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

SN - 0360-5442

VL - 312

JO - Energy

JF - Energy

M1 - 133540

ER -

Energy saving potential of passive radiative cool coating in high-rise data center with neighboring infrastructure

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Research Keywords

RGC Funding Information

Access Output

Other Access Options

Permanent Link

Other Files and Links

Fingerprint

ITF: Study and Development of Novel and Next-Generation Self-Cooling Building Materials using Daytime Passive Radiative Cooling Technology

GRF: Coral-inspired and Colored Daytime Passive Radiative Coolers using Photoluminescent Carbon Dots for Cooling Power Recovery in Building Applications

RIF: A Study of Energy Harvesting and Fire Hazards Associated with Double-Skin Green Façades of Tall Green Buildings

Cite this