KIT develops hybrid roof system for cooling and power

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has announced a hybrid energy system that can generate electricity, heating, and cooling simultaneously from one surface. - The prototype combines photovoltaics, solar thermal, and passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC), and was tested outdoors, achieving up to 6.5 °C below ambient, 60.6 W/m² electrical power density, and 110.8 °C heating temperature.

• The team says the system could be useful for AI data centers and other energy-intensive applications; the study was published in Cell Reports Physical Science with DOI 10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103492. The release also references prior KIT work from 2024 on transparent passive cooling materials.