New paint gives extra insulation, saving on energy, costs, and carbon emissions

Scientists at Stanford University have developed an innovative type of paint that can improve insulation in homes and other buildings. This new paint has the ability to keep buildings cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, resulting in significant energy savings, cost reductions, and a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.

Space heating and cooling contribute to approximately 13% of global energy consumption and around 11% of greenhouse gas emissions. Through experiments conducted in simulated cold and warm environments, the new paints demonstrated a 36% reduction in heating energy usage and a nearly 21% reduction in cooling energy usage. In simulations of a typical mid-rise apartment building across different climate zones in the US, the application of the new paint on exterior walls and roofs resulted in a 7.4% decrease in total energy use for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning over the course of a year.

“As we work towards zero-emissions goals, it is crucial to reduce energy consumption and emissions from heating and air conditioning globally,” said Yi Cui, senior author of the study and professor of materials science and engineering, energy science and engineering, and photon science at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. “The focus on minimizing heat exchange between living and working spaces and the surrounding environment is increasing, with demand for materials that provide enhanced insulation, such as low-emissivity films for windows.”

Aesthetic and Efficient

Unlike conventional low-emissivity paints that typically have a metallic or gray color, the newly invented paints feature a two-layer structure. The bottom layer is made up of aluminum flakes that reflect infrared radiation, while the top layer consists of inorganic nanoparticles that are transparent to infrared light and come in various colors. The infrared spectrum of sunlight is responsible for 49% of the Earth’s natural heating when it is absorbed by surfaces.

When the paint is applied to exterior walls and roofs, most of the infrared light passes through the color layer, reflects off the lower layer, and exits as light instead of being absorbed as heat by the building materials. For interior walls, the paints prevent the transfer of energy through infrared waves, which are invisible to the human eye. The paints have been tested in different colors, including white, blue, red, yellow, green, orange, purple, and dark gray, and were found to be 10 times more effective than conventional paints in reflecting high mid-infrared light.

Applications Beyond Buildings

The benefits of these paints extend beyond buildings. They can also be used to enhance energy efficiency in refrigerated transportation, such as trucks and train cars, where cooling costs can consume a significant portion of the transportation budget.

“The paints can be sprayed onto various surfaces of different shapes and materials, providing an additional thermal barrier in many different scenarios,” explained Yucan Peng, co-lead author of the study. The paints’ water-repellent properties make them suitable for humid environments, and they can be easily cleaned with water. The paints have also demonstrated excellent performance and durability when exposed to extreme temperatures and acidic environments.

Further refinements are underway to develop water-based paint formulations, which will be more environmentally friendly than the current organic solvent-based formulations. This will facilitate the commercialization of these innovative paints.

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