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Cooling buildings with nano

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by tochatihu, Mar 29, 2013.

  1. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Gotta get a copy of this:

    Ultrabroadband Photonic Structures To Achieve High-Performance Daytime Radiative Cooling

    Eden Rephaeli*†, Aaswath Raman*†, and Shanhui Fan*‡

    Nano Lett., Article ASAP
    DOI: 10.1021/nl4004283
    Publication Date (Web): March 5, 2013

    I think it may be of interest to PC nerds :D
    1. It works, they say, because it re-emits thermal energy at wavelengths not absorbed by CO2. This will be seen as verification of the greenhouse effect, except by those whose philosophy requires them to reject (this aspect of) science.
    2. We have no idea yet how much it might cost. At this stage, we ought not care. Let Rephaeli and friends continue, and see what they come up with.
    3. Reducing energy cost of cooling buildings could take a chunk out of fossil-C burning and the large water requirements associated with thermal-energy plants.
    4. They had better be able to shut it off in the winter :rolleyes:
     
    #1 tochatihu, Mar 29, 2013
  2. FL_Prius_Driver

    FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member

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    I cannot fathom this being economically viable. The core fabrication materials are Silicon Carbide and Quartz. That instantly tells me it would be as expensive as a solar panel if not more. The physics may be viable, but the materials used and the nano processing required prevent this from economic viability.
     
    #2 FL_Prius_Driver, Mar 30, 2013
  3. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    All you have to do to shut it off is to cover it up:) On tall buildings, it might be an expensive structure, on cars a sliding panel.
     
    #3 austingreen, Mar 30, 2013
  4. walter Lee

    walter Lee Hypermiling Padawan

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    Traditional multiple floor buildings in Egypt have these pipes between floors that act like heat exchangers which helps keep the building cool.
     
    #4 walter Lee, Apr 11, 2013
  5. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Many species' of termite nests do this also. This probably didn't give Egyptians the idea, because the concept was not appreciated by science until recently.

    Or, maybe they were so inspired. A lot of what Egyptians knew has not been preserved.

    Other nest building insects (ants and wasps) make structures that do not seem to have such interesting engineering properties. It is also generally the case that ants and wasps build temporary structures and the colony moves on. Not so for termites, and that may be related.
     
    #5 tochatihu, Apr 11, 2013
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