Modeling and Sensitivity Analysis of the Impact of Pasting Daytime Radiative Cooling Films on Residential Air-Conditioning Systems’ Performance in Tropical Climates

In tropical urban environments, rising temperatures from the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and climate change have significantly increased cooling energy demand in buildings, accounting for nearly 56% of energy consumption. To address this challenge, this study experimentally investigates the integration of daytime radiative cooling (DRC) technology with air-conditioning systems by applying DRC film to outdoor unit surfaces to enhance radiative heat transfer and reduce surface temperatures and energy use. Data collected were then used to develop a predictive model estimating energy consumption under varying weather conditions and air-conditioning system characteristics, with and without DRC. Results showed the DRC film reduced surface temperatures and achieved 6% energy savings. Among the predictive models tested, LightGBM delivered the most accurate predictions (R2 of 0.9678), with coefficient of performance (COP), outdoor temperature, and outdoor humidity emerging as the most critical contributors to the model performance.