## 1 Introduction  
It is widely recognized that the global temperature has increased by 1.1 \({}^{\circ}\)C compared to the commencement of the Industrial Revolution. Despite the ostensibly modest nature of this temperature increase, it has engendered a heightened frequency of severe weather phenomena, notably flooding, heat waves, and tornadoes [1, 2, 3]. The scientific community expects the warming trend to worsen in the future, rendering parts of the world unlivable. In response to the escalating frequency of heat waves, cooling, and particularly air conditioning, have become essential for the survival of billions of people around the world, as well as for the safeguarding of vital resources such as food and medicine [4]. According to the data from the International Energy Agency, 2 billion Air Conditioner (AC) units are in use worldwide, and the number is thought to increase to 5.6 billion by 2050 [5]. This underlines the critical role that air conditioning plays in ensuring the survival and comfort of vast populations in the face of escalating temperatures and the associated challenges posed by climate change. Despite the countless benefits, ACs based on vapor-compression technology consume a large amount of electricity (approx. 15% of the total amount) and use refrigerant fluids, such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), characterized by an elevated Global Warming Potential (GWP) [6, 7]. Over time, AC devices can be exposed to refrigerant fluid leaks with a significant probability. This can occur for many reasons, including the improper installation or maintenance and ageing of the equipment. In addition, if air conditioners at the end of their life are not disposed of properly or are illegally dismantled, refrigerant fluids can flow out during the dismantling process. When the coolants are released into the environment, they have a severe environmental impact and contribute in a significant way to greenhouse gas emissions. The paradox is evident: global warming leads to increased demand for air conditioners, which in turn contributes to further global warming. In consideration of the dangerous effects of refrigerant fluids, the Kyoto Protocol (1997) set a timeline for the phase-out of HCFCs by 2020-2030 and HFCs by 2025-2040. However, as these deadlines are approaching, many countries are displaying insolence, reluctance, and a lack of awareness or financial resources to meet these commitments [8]. Solid-state cooling technologies based on caloric effects present a novel alternative to conventional refrigerant-based cooling systems, specifically in household ACs. These caloric effects encompass magnetocaloric, electrocaloric, barocaloric, and elastocaloric phenomena. They pertain to the alteration in isothermal entropy or adiabatic temperature upon the application or removal of a magnetic field, an electrical field, hydrostatic pressure, and uniaxial stress, respectively [8]. The elastocaloric effect is investigated in two categories of materials: shape memory alloys (SMAs) and elastomers. In elastomers, the elastocaloric effect refers to the reversible change in temperature the material undergoes when subjected to the rapid application and removal of mechanical stress, and it is the consequence of a coupling between mechanical stress and macromolecule rearrangement [9]. When an elastomer is rapidly stretched, it experiences a negative entropy variation due to macromolecule orientation, and it heats up. Maintaining the deformation, the heat is released into the environment and the material returns to room temperature. Finally, when the elastomer is unloaded, the material returns to the initial high entropy state and cools down, absorbing heat from the environment. Such a relation between thermal and elastic behavior is referred to as the thermoelastic effect. If this behavior is properly exploited, a refrigeration cycle alternative to the ones currently used may be developed.