Scientists just invented a new sort of thin material that can lower the temperature of any surface against the harsh heat of the sun without using any energy whatsoever.
The material is a glass-polymer hybrid, which is just 50 micrometers thick and is possible to be manufactured cheaply, say the researchers behind the innovation according to the study published on much acclaimed Journal Science.
Researcher Xiaobo Yin, assistant professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder said, "We feel that this low-cost manufacturing process will be transformative for real-world applications of this radiative cooling technology."
The application of this production could keep building and other objects cool while also extending the longevity of solar panels.
Researchers found the material could cool objects by dissipating the suns thermal energy in the form of infrared radiation.
In field tests, the material showed a cooling effect roughly equivalent to the electricity generated using solar cells for a similar area and could cool incessantly both day and night.
"Just 10 to 20 square meters (yards) of this material on the rooftop could nicely cool down a single-family house in summer," said co-author Gang Tan, an associate professor in the University of Wyomings Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering.
While not on the market yet, researchers said the material is lightweight, easy to fit to curved surfaces and simple enough to mass-produce.
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