Passive subambient cooling and atmospheric water nexus
Accelerating global warming has intensified the need for sustainable, low-energy cooling strategies. Subambient radiative cooling is a compelling solution, passively dissipating heat to outer space via mid-infrared emission without external energy input. However, its performance depends on atmospheric conditions, especially low humidity and clear skies. Although its global potential is well-established, its performance under typical weather conditions and integration with sustainable water cycling technologies remain underexplored. This review examines how radiative cooling can be integrated with water-related technologies—including atmospheric water harvesting, sustainable agriculture, and radiative–evaporative cooling—to reduce thermal loads while improving water sustainability. Rising global temperatures drive demand for sustainable cooling and water solutions. Here, authors review how passive radiative cooling can be integrated with water technologies to address heat and water stress in a warming climate.
Authors
- Hussam Qasem (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3376-5600)
- Kaijie Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8800-0934)
- Sunmiao Fang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2484-4857)
- Saichao Dang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5466-8412)
- Khalid Hazazi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9379-1507)
- Issam Gereige (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8563-4333)
- Wenshuai Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4428-1505)
- Jiechen Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2234-8297)
- Lyu Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5829-4804)
- Qiang Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4262-6592)
- Pingfan Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5646-3958)
- Qiaoqiang Gan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8309-5081)
- Qiong Li
- Yan Zhang
- Shakeel Ahmad
- Yue Cao
- Hamad Saiari
Institutions
- Texas Tech University (US)
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (SA)
- Huazhong Agricultural University (CN)
- Fudan University (CN)
- Institute for the Future (US)
- Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia) (SA)
- Northeast Forestry University (CN)
- Saudi Aramco (United States) (US)
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (SA)
- Zhejiang University (CN)
- South China University of Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2026-06-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74110-z
- Primary Topic
- Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology