Towards field implementation of photoluminescence in the built environment for passive cooling and lighting energy efficiency

Photoluminescent materials are widely considered crucial elements in sustainable lighting, and they are also gaining credit in passive cooling applications in buildings. In this study, we investigate different photoluminescent pigments, connecting their emission behavior to the specific afterglow color and evaluating their potential use as passive cooling and lighting energy-saving solutions. In particular, we analyze the spectral behavior of the selected pigments to obtain for the first time corrected luminescence spectral responses. The same materials are then characterized through photometric methods, considering realistic environmental boundary conditions to better evaluate their potential as light sources in a real urban environment. Results demonstrate the influence of spectral properties and irradiation power on the registered radiance of the pigments. Furthermore, the presence of simultaneously excited multiple emitters produces non-negligible differences between the emission spectra from the monochromatic and the full range excitation procedure. At the same time, an almost perfect agreement can be found in the case of single emitters. Finally, the data are discussed to present the complementarity between passive cooling and lighting actions