Surface engineering is an effective method to improve the thermochromic performance of VO2. In this paper, an acid-etching top down method was proposed to tailor the VO2 surface morphology from the continuous dense-packed surface to patterned structure, which exhibited the enhanced integrated visible transmittance (T-Ium) and the enlarged solar modulating abilities (Delta T-sol). Moreover, a self-patterning approach was also illustrated to improve the thermochromic properties. The proposed surface engineering methods represent a facile and cost-effective approach for enhancing thermochromic properties that could promote the application of VO2 thin films in smart windows. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.