2026-04-20 JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE 2026 155(卷), null(期), (null页)
Dry locations with high solar irradiation experience double-digit daily temperature fluctuations. These temperature changes are used as passive solutions for cooling buildings. However, this resource is substantially underutilized for other cooling services. Daily temperature fluctuations can be harnessed to provide sustainable and affordable cooling services, particularly in regions with low access to electricity. This paper introduces a novel method, daily temperature fluctuation cooling (DTFC), that extends the concept of passive thermal storage beyond buildings to deliver low-cost cooling services. Predictable cold air at night cools a rock pile, and then the cooled rocks are used to chill air during the day. The paper explores the system's design, including rock size, rock pile height and fan energy consumption. Results show that DTFC provides 10 degrees C of cooling in locations where the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures is 13.5 degrees C, at a cooling cost of 8.84 USD MWth- 1 and a coefficient of performance of 80. DTFC has demonstrated potential as a renewable, circular economy, lowcost cooling solution for desert areas.