A team of researchers from Stanford University in California, says that yes, thanks to a new material developed to place on the roof, which has the ability to reflect up to 97% of visible light.
But it also functions as a heat radiator, preventing the building is heated by sunlight and emitting heat into space.
When the mirror is heated, it releases heat as infrared radiation.
This radiation travels at a longer wavelength than visible light and easily through the atmosphere to reach space.
The researchers believe that this cooler tapestry like a kind of mirror could reduce the amount of energy used to keep cool environment or even make completely unnecessary use of air conditioning.
“If you cover significant portions of the roof with this mirror can see how much electricity save “explains Shanhui Fan, photonics expert at Stanford University and lead author of the study. Multiple layers
This mirror, which was unveiled this week in the journal Nature, is formed for very thin layers of materials and has a thickness of 1.8 microns (a micron equals one thousandth of a millimeter).
The first layer is silver, this is to overlap other of silicon dioxide and hafnium oxide.
These layers enhance the ability to reflect the material and transform the mirror on a radiator.
According to its creators, the material structure allows infrared rays directly out into space without overheating the space around the building.
“We can use the cold darkness of the universe as a renewable resource thermodynamic even during the hottest part of the day,” say researchers in the journal Nature.
When covered the roof of a building with this prototype, we managed to reduce the indoor temperature setting 5 ° C.
Install the mirror can have a cost between US $ 20 and US $ 70 per square meter, scientists say.
The coating serves to cool buildings, or any other object, for example to prevent overheating by the sun’s heat.
However, it serves to remove the heat generated by themselves inside the building.
To do this, scientists believe they could use the mirror to cool water or other fluid which could then be circulated inside the building.
Global Warming
But, this material has some potential to reduce global warming?
Fan rule completely this idea.
“The roofs are only a very small surface of the Earth lot, so I do not think this can become a solution geoengineering” he said.
“Our contribution to the emission of greenhouse gases is simply to reduce the consumption of electricity.”
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