Colours Key to Climate Control for Home and Planet
Description
A CQUniversity building and architectural engineer has found a colourful solution to keeping houses warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The research test the impact of coloured fluorescent films on passive daytime cooling technologies. Orange-fluorescent Passive Coloured Radiative Cooling (PCRC) materials achieved higher cooling compared to other passive colours during daytime in Alice Springs, in Central Australia, well known for extreme dry heat conditions. It also performed best under the humid-cold Sydney's winter conditions, insulating to 4.5 degrees compared to the conventional white colours.
Partners
University of New South Wales
Impact
A CQUniversity building and architectural engineering expert has found a colourful solution to keeping houses warm in the winter and cool in the summer. A study across the hot-desert climate of Alice Springs and the humid subtropical climate of Sydney during winter has proved that the approach can handle Australia's diverse weather conditions.
Dr Hassan Khan led the research to test the impact of coloured fluorescent films on passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) technologies. PDRCs are highly reflective and emissive of white and silver surfaces, but are limited to commercial development due to glare and aesthetic issues in the urban environment.
In the research, Dr Khan and a UNSW team developed passive coloured radiative cooling (PCRC) materials in orange, green and red colours, using quantum dots and fluorescent dyes, which can be applied to roofing and other urban surfaces without having glare and aesthetic issues. More colours of PCRCs are being fabricated and tested.
The findings have implications for thermal comfort and energy-saving in residential and commercial buildings and provided a solution to counteract the urban overheating issues and global climate change.
The study results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells.
The researchers are now working on improving durability and extending the life of the fluorescent materials from about five years to upwards of 15.
The Australian Research Council has funded this fluorescent cooling project, which was supported by UNSW facilities and equipment.
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