Scientists have created a paint that can effectively protect buildings from heat and sun
An international team of scientists developed and tested the innovative CCP-30 white paint, which protects buildings from heat and solar radiation 10 times more effectively than conventional paints. About this informsScience magazine.
Against the background of rising global temperatures and the intensive use of cooling systems, which currently consume about 20% of the world’s electricity, this development becomes especially relevant. Cities heat up more than suburbs because concrete and asphalt accumulate heat, and heat from traffic, industry, and air conditioners only make matters worse.
Researchers from Singapore, China and Saudi Arabia combined two cooling approaches: reflection of sunlight (radiative cooling) and water evaporation. Unlike typical commercial paints, which are usually focused only on light reflection, CCP-30 also performs well in humid climates where other coatings are ineffective. The secret of the paint lies in its ability to absorb atmospheric moisture and rainwater, and then gradually evaporate it, just as the skin cools the body by lowering the surface temperature.
This is facilitated by a special porous structure made of calcium hydrosilicate (CSH-gel), reinforced with polymer additives and hygroscopic salt, which retain moisture and prevent the formation of cracks. In a laboratory experiment on three identical concrete structures (50x40x70 cm), it was the house with CCP-30 paint that maintained the lowest temperature, more than 4.5 °C lower than the other samples.
In testing in real air-conditioned residential buildings, the CCP-30 delivered energy savings of 30-40%, and this performance was maintained in both dry and wet weather. Long-term measurements for a month and repeated checks two years later confirmed that the innovative coating can reduce electricity consumption by almost 40%.
