Revolutionary window film reduces heat and energy consumption
What's a room without windows? Windows are undoubtedly an important feature in our homes, offices, cars, and public spaces. They provide views and natural light, but they also contribute to heat input, which increases energy usage for cooling, a problem in an era of rising temperatures. When Read More...
Passive cooling techniques reduce AC strain by up to 80 percent
In the summer months, many of us are of two minds: we’re dying to keep it cool, but we’re also dying not to spend too much on electricity. Not only that, many of us don’t want to overload our town’s power grid during the summer, so we’re turned to AC alternatives. As it turns out, Read More...
The future is bright white! How paint can help cool a city
Last year, we wrote about a team of researchers led by Purdue University mechanical engineering professor Xiulin Ruan who invented a kind of paint that is so white it reflects more than 95 percent of the sunlight that falls on surfaces covered in it. We love keeping track of solutions as they Read More...
Sunlight and saltwater is all you need for this electricity-free cooling system
Researchers at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) are working on a cooling system that requires zero electricity, something that would be highly valuable in many parts of the world that lack infrastructure but get a lot of sunlight. The team’s strategy Read More...
This climate-friendly cooling unit cuts the CO2 footprint of HVAC by 75%
As the world keeps getting warmer, air conditioners are likely to become an increasingly common element of home design. With that said, these appliances are themselves a burden on the environment because they’re so energy-hungry. The same goes for heaters that are intended to keep us warm during Read More...
This electricity-free device can cool buildings in an eco-friendly way
Air conditioners are among the world’s hungriest energy consumers, and as the planet becomes warmer and the demand for cooling systems increases, the strain on the environment from air conditioners is only expected to grow. In a bid to find a way to passively cool our buildings, researchers at Read More...
These water-filled windows can cool and heat buildings more sustainably
Given the thermal shortcomings of glass, windows can significantly undermine the sustainability of a building. Most conventional windows allow heat to escape during cold weather, increasing heating costs, while, during hot weather, they allow sunlight to stream in, thus driving up the use of Read More...
New reflective coating keeps homes cool and comes in different colors
Just as wearing white clothing is a good way of beating the heat on hot days, painting our buildings white can also keep them cool and thus save a considerable amount of energy in the process. But it isn’t easy to keep white clothes clean, and some of us like a bit more color in our lives. Read More...
Beetle that lives near volcanos inspires new eco-friendly cooling material
Heating and cooling systems are some of the biggest consumers of energy, so finding ways to passively cool buildings and electronics could be a huge saver of money and the environment. Now, thanks to a beetle that likes to hang out in some of the hottest places on Earth, scientists have Read More...