N@N

Porous plastic sheets can cool buildings by radiating light to space

The article from MSN discusses a new cooling technology developed by researchers at ETH Zurich, which involves the use of porous plastic sheets to cool buildings. These sheets, made from common materials like polyethylene and polypropylene, are designed to radiate heat in the form of light directly into space, bypassing the Earth's atmosphere. This passive cooling method leverages the transparency of the atmosphere to certain wavelengths of light, allowing the heat to escape into the cold expanse of space. The sheets are engineered to be highly reflective to solar radiation while simultaneously being emissive in the atmospheric window, which ranges from 8 to 13 micrometers. This dual functionality helps in reducing the temperature inside buildings without the need for energy-consuming air conditioning, potentially offering a sustainable solution to cooling in a warming climate. The technology could significantly decrease energy consumption for cooling, which is particularly relevant as global temperatures rise and the demand for air conditioning increases.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/general/porous-plastic-sheets-can-cool-buildings-by-radiating-light-to-space/ar-AA1ytMoz ]