Radiative Cooling Video
Watch the whole video.
The the workshop runs for a hour if you would like to watch the whole video. - Click here
Who would find this information useful - Anyone who is involved or interested in the design and construction of our built environment i.e. architects, structural engineers, builders of industrial, commercial and residential buildings. specifies, developers, real estate, researchers and the general public.
This video demonstrates how we can reduce our heat loads in our urban environment and inside the buildings we live and work in.
Cooling buildings and cities naturally with higher albedos and night sky radiation
Large cooling capability without external power is easy once you know which materials and structures to use. In addition these approaches to cooling pump heat directly back into space, to improve microclimates around buildings. In contrast compressor driven (and solar absorption) cooling exacerbate the urban heat island problem, which arises mainly from the combination of low urban albedos and high thermal masses. Various ways of using both high solar reflectance and night sky radiative cooling is discussed ranging from special roof paints to simple systems which collect and store sub-ambient "cool" at night. After introducing the principles of radiative cooling, including which surfaces work best, dealing with convective gain, moisture condensation, and role of humidity, exciting initial results with prototype collectors 3.6m2 in area is presented. Models have been developed which predict observed sub-ambient cooling powers, and can be used in design.
Professor Geoff Smith and Dr Angus Gentle
University of Technology, Sydney
Geoff Smith has worked on materials for solar energy, radiative cooling, daylighting and lighting for over three decades, often with industry. A number of products have resulted. Much involves use of nanostructures and thin films. Just out is his book coauthored with Prof Claes Granqvist from Uppsala, Sweden "Green nanotechnology: Solutions for sustainability and energy in the built environment" which shows in detail how we can best get back "in tune" with nature, and what to expect if we make the effort.
Angus Gentle has degrees in both Applied Science and Electrical Engineering from UTS. His PhD involved research on energy efficient window coatings including new work on thermochromic thin films. He has since carried out research on solar cells at UNSW and has recently achieved several advances in radiative cooling coatings and systems at UTS
The Book
Green Nanotechnology - Solutions for sustainable and energy in the built environment. ..... ...................................... By Geoffrey B. Smith & Claes G Granquist.
Features
- Links basic nanoscience concepts with examples of where they can impact energy efficiency, energy
supply, and relevant environmental issues, including water supply - Offers a multidisciplinary perspective with an emphasis on applied physics and engineering
Presents the information in a accessible format with simple mathematical equations and clear explanations - Discusses basic nanophotonics and how to tune material responses to what the environment has to offer
- Contains numerous figures, photographs, tables, diagrams, bulleted lists of summary points, and references to further reading.
Summary
A first step in developing a clean and sustainable future is to think differently about everyday products, in particular how they influence energy use. Green Nanotechnology: Solutions for Sustainability and Energy in the Built Environment explores the science and technology of tiny structures that have a huge potential to improve quality of life while simultaneously achieving reductions in the use of fossil fuels. This book examines energy flows in nature and how the optical properties of materials can be designed to harmonize with those flows. It then discusses the properties that can be achieved in real materials to take advantage of nature’s energy flows.
The authors cohesively examine a number of topics, highlighting their applications and the significance of their nano features. They provide a cursory discussion of well-reviewed subjects such as nanostructured solar cells and turn their attention to timely topics such as methods for preventing excessive temperature and approaches to passive cooling. The book identifies key materials and elucidates how their properties can be understood in terms of contemporary materials physics and chemistry. It concludes with a detailed description of a scenario for future buildings that use much less energy while also providing better comfort.
A valuable side effect of most nanotechnologies is that they inherently put us in closer touch with the natural world. With broad coverage of how nanoparticles impact energy use in the built environment, this book opens readers’ eyes to a fascinating vision of how technology and nanoscience can merge and lead to commodity-scale products that help preserve our planet.
Link to publishers web site Click here