Scientists develop window film that can cool room without blocking visible light
The newly developed 'Transparent radiative coolers' (TRC) can be employed as window materials to cut cooling energy requirements for buildings and automobiles, which may support significantly in addressing climate change challenges.
Scientists have developed a transparent window coating which can stop the sun’s heat without blocking view from the window. It is assessed that cooling records for about 15% of global energy consumption so this technology can could reduce the temperature inside buildings, without consuming a single watt of energy.
According to a report published in American Chemical Society (ACS) Energy Letters, the newly developed 'Transparent radiative coolers' (TRC) can be employed as window materials to cut cooling energy requirements for buildings and automobiles, which may support significantly in addressing climate change challenges.
Why it is challenging to develop such material?
According to the paper, demand might be reduced even if a window coating could block the UV and near-infrared portions of the sun’s spectrum that generally travel through glass to heat enclosed spaces. However, it is challenging to create materials that can simultaneously satisfy these requirements and transmit visible light, ensuring that they don’t obstruct the view.
The report further adds, energy consumption might be further decreased if the coating emits heat from the surface of the window at a wavelength that can go through the atmosphere and into space.
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How did the scientists then achieve the task?
The researchers built computer models of TRCs that comprised alternating thin layers of regular materials like silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, aluminium oxide, or titanium dioxide on a glass substrate and covered in a film of polydimethylsiloxane. They used an iterative process driven by machine learning and quantum computing, which stores data using subatomic particles to improve the kind, arrangement, and mix of layers.
“This computing method carries out optimization faster and better than conventional computers because it can efficiently test all possible combinations in a fraction of a second,” the report adds.
As a result, one of the best commercial heat-reduction glasses on the market and a coating design were created that, when manufactured, outperformed the performance of TRCs that were conventionally developed.
What are the use cases?
According to the researchers, the improved TRC might potentially use 31% less cooling energy than regular windows in hot and dry cities. They point out that because TRCs can also be used in automobile and truck windows, their findings may apply to other applications.
The team’s optimisation method, which is enabled by quantum computing, might also be utilised to create different composite materials, the report adds.
