Scientists champion passive cooling to combat Europe and Asia heatwaves
With heatwaves hitting Europe and Asia hard, scientists are championing passive cooling technology as a smarter, greener way to stay cool.
Instead of relying on power-hungry air conditioners, which hike up electricity bills and aren't affordable for everyone, these new materials like special paints and hydrogel films can chill buildings without using any electricity.
Paints and hydrogels make buildings self-cooling
Radiative paints can bounce back 97% of sunlight, dropping surface temperatures by around 5.26 degrees Celsius, while hydrogel films soak up moisture at night and release it during the day, cutting heat by about seven degrees Celsius.
When added to roofs and exterior walls, they turn entire buildings into self-cooling spaces. Urban climatologist Negin Nazarian puts it simply: "We really need to tackle this problem from different angles."