Posted on 09/19/2021 5:33:05 PM PDT by American Number 181269513
White houses are often boring, but they might just save the planet. As USA Today reports, Purdue University researchers have developed an ultra-white paint (it just earned a Guinness World Record) that reflects 98.1 percent of solar radiation while outputting infrared heat. As this leaves the surface cooler than the environment (regular paint warms the surface), it could effectively replace air conditioning in some cases — it produces a cooling power of 10kW for a 1,000sq. ft. roof, or more than a typical house AC unit.
There are existing paints made to reflect heat, but they reflect no more than 90 percent of sunlight and don't cool surfaces. The team didn't have much breathing room, either — an even whiter paint might have compromised it.
The trick was to use a high ratio of barium sulfate, a compound you often see in cosmetics and photo paper, in varying particle sizes. The wider range of sizes helps scatter more of the light spectrum and thus reflect more sunlight.
It's not clear how close this extremely white paint is to your local store, but the researchers are fully bent on commercializing their work. They've teamed with a company to mass-produce and sell the paint, and have already filed patents. If it lives up to the billing, though, it could play an important role in fighting climate change. It could reduce or eliminate the need for air conditioning in some homes, particularly in warm regions with ample sunlight. That could reduce emissions and power consumption, and might save you some money on hot summer days.
A $300 dehumidifier takes care of the humidity for a 1600 sf townhouse in our case.
Blood has been used as dye for thousands of years.
Oxblood leather is literally leather that has been dyed with blood.
I recall a lot of white tile roofs in florida ended up turning black from whatever.
does it kill birds who try to fly over or dare they try to land on the house, all that reflected solar can’t be good for birds or insects.
“How about 99% reflective mirror surface?”
I’ve got 6 gates going into the ranch and a foot and a half from each end they’re wrapped with 3M reflective tape. Makes it nice and cool to the touch compared to the black pipe that’s not wrapped. On a hot west Texas day that’s a relief, you don’t need a pair of oven mittens.
Yea, try painting a house with that super duper white paint down here in Houston during our scorching hot humid summers with no A/C.
You’ll suffocate.
I had to fly to Phoenix several years ago for some training on new software. It was late summer and everything was just brown. On the ride from the airport I spotted a house up the road that had the greenest lawn anywhere around, but as I got closer I saw they had just filled the yard with rocks and painted them green.
Humidity, direct moisture, and degradation. Spanish tile works well but even if you reflect heat the radiation its still is swirling around causing convection (Does this conclusion even consider wind/humidity for instance) and eventually permeate/settle within the walls of your abode. A lot of white homes back in the day that installed central air when the tech became cost effective. Needless to say without central air, not a lot of people would live south of north Georgia.
They are out to eliminate your air conditioning.
White privileged paints. Paint everything black.
I believe it!
We use to go to the Cotter Conventions in Phoenix ...it was a big deal and took a week just to go through the place. I noticed the yards were often rocks etc. But didn’t see a single one green...just the tree trunks painted white.
Bull, we need more giga-watts for my Binford AC.
White supremacy
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Isn’t that a Benjamin Moore color?
Cultural appropriation for houses.
For about a week or less and onward, as dust to bird droppings slowly degrade its reflectiveness, while the cost of washing eats savings.
Too White
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That was going to be my question, but you froze is the answer.
Ultra white until birds crap on it or soot happens.
Does the article not say that it emits infrared heat? If that is the case, imagine how nice it would be to have a lot less mosquitoes and gnats and other bugs in the immediate area around your house as well.
But, yeah... In MN (not to mention several other northern states) you would have a fairly high heat bill.
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