Dive Brief:

• University of Colorado at Boulder researchers have developed a metamaterial film that can cool objects without consuming any energy, according to ScienceDaily. 

• The glass-polymer film reflects solar energy into the atmosphere while allowing solid surfaces to cool through infrared thermal radiation via glass microspheres scattered throughout the polymer film and a silver undercoat optimizes spectral reflectance. A 100- to 200-square-foot rooftop application of the film could cool an entire house during warmer summer months. 

• The use of shielding films in conjunction with solar power systems is expected to boost energy output. Despite their refractive properties, metamaterial coatings could increase solar panel efficiency by up to 2% by keeping the units cooler, according to the researchers.

Dive Insight:

The residential rooftop continues to get massive attention from energy researchers looking to maximize and minimize the heating and power possibilities from the sun. While Tesla and others have come forward with solar roof tiles and other building materials for power generation, the U.C. Boulder team is leveraging materials science to reduce the impact of solar’s radiative properties.

Chilling out can have a significant impact on energy costs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Americans spend more than $22 billion — and consume 183 billion kilowatt-hours of energy — on electricity for air conditioning annually.

While research has shown a direct correlation between cool roofs and reduced peak energy demand, the aesthetic properties of white, silver and other reflective colors continue to stall wider adoption of such coatings. Recently, global paint vendor PPG worked with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to develop chromium-doped aluminum oxide pigments allowing for darker colors for reflective roofs.