Cooling panel sends excess heat back into outer space (Eliminate A/C? Power companies won't like)

Venturebeat Green ^ | April 15, 2013 | Chitra Rakesh

[2ndDivisionVet]

Scientists have found a way to cool houses without air conditioning — and without using any power at all.

Shanhui Fan, professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University, and graduate students, Aaswath Raman, and Eden Rephaeli, are working on a cooling panel that could possibly replace your air conditioner.

How? By radiating the vast majority of incoming sunlight into the outside world.

“The structure basically does two things: It radiates the heat out in the atmosphere into outer space, and the device reflects sunlight to ensure that the sunlight does not heat up the device itself,” explained professor Fan, a Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The device is a metal-dielectric photonic structure capable of radiative cooling in daytime outdoor conditions. The structure behaves as a broadband mirror for solar light, while simultaneously emitting strongly in the mid-infrared within the atmospheric transparency window. What that means: It reflects visible light, and also radiates heat back out with a frequency that allows the infrared waves to pass unimpeded through the atmosphere, back out into space. As a result, it achieves a net cooling power in excess of 100 watts per square meter at ambient temperature.

Furthermore, we’re told by the team that the panel will require no electrical input. Essentially, it will sit on the top of the roof of your house and keep you cool, even on the hottest of days, without drawing any power....

[cripplecreek]

It radiates the heat out in the atmosphere into outer space

Well alrighty then.

[Steely Tom]

It radiates the heat out in the atmosphere into outer space.

Space: The Final Frontier.

[Mamzelle]

Why take a shot at the power companies? Likely they’d find a way to make money out of this themselves! I hope it’s a genuine breakthrough. It’s Al Gore who’d hate this, because it aims warmth back out of the atmosphere!

[Steely Tom]

Space: The Final Heat Exchanger.

[Paradox]

Sounds like a technological solution for any supposed “Global Warming”. Chalk another one up to Technology.

[smokingfrog]

[Mastador1]

Isn’t outer space actually beyond the atmosphere?

[Cicero]

Sounds as if this is designed not only to cool the house, but to cool the planet to some degree. I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea.

Having a reflective roof makes good sense in the summer. But does it need to send the warmth back into outer space?

Maybe so, but I’d like to see a little more explanation of that aspect. Is there a touch of global warming fear there?

[taterjay]

What about the space warming that will take place and alter the universe? Could be bad.

[old-ager]

It sounds great but at 100 watts per square meter it would require a great deal of area.

[Nateman]

I suspect it’s a scam. A simple Mirror will reflect back sunlight but it won’t make the house any cooler than the temperature of the air.

[JohnBrowdie]

Horsecrap. someone in academia is looking to score a big grant from the green energy dummies at the DoE

[BraveMan]

The three-member team recently published its findings, and hopes to roll out an experimental prototype within a few months. They’ve spent a year doing extensive simulations and theoretical calculations.

So, they're selling math?

Good work if you can get it . . .

[EEGator]

“Shanhui Fan, professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University, and graduate students, Aaswath Raman, and Eden Rephaeli,...”

Damn the Irish kick ass at engineering.

[Hardraade]

Arab architects - before they went insane with islam and mosques and general gaga bs, were very adept at using natural cooling techniques.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Now Al Gore will have to stop galactic warming.

[this_ol_patriot]

Well you’ll still need a way to dehumidify to house air. 70 degrees at 100% humidity is not comfortable unless you like saunas. Remember as the temp drops the RH% will go up until you have every cool surface in your house sweating including you and mold and mildew everywhere..

[Clay Moore]

I bet pilots are going to love flying around looking down at a vast sea of mirrors reflecting the sun right back at them.

They will pine for the days of the occasional idiot with his laser pointer.

[Cboldt]

Same principle that puts frost on the ground when the air is above freezing. Space is ccccccold, and the ground radiates its heat to space (on a clear night). No reason the same can’t happen in the day.