Climate change: 'Cooling paint' could cut emissions from buildings - BBC News

A new type of white paint has the potential to cool buildings and reduce the reliance on air conditioning, say researchers.

In a study, the new product was able to reflect 95.5% of sunlight and reduce temperatures by 1.7C compared to the ambient air conditions.

According to the World Green Building Council, the lighting, heating and cooling of buildings is responsible for around 28% of global CO2.

That's because the heating and cooling of buildings is mainly powered by coal, oil and gas - In Europe, around 75% of this energy need comes from fossil fuels.

For decades, researchers have been trying to come up with ideas to increase the efficiency of cooling and heating.

A number of reflective paints have been developed for the outside of homes and offices that would reflect away sunlight and reduce the temperatures inside.

Now, researchers in the US say they have developed a white paint with strong cooling properties?

"In one experiment where we put a painted surface outside under direct sunlight, the surface cooled 1.7C below the ambient temperature and during night time it even cooled up to 10C below the ambient temperature," said Prof Xiulin Ruan, from Purdue University in Indiana, who's an author on the study.

The researchers say the paint may have a broad range of applications - particularly in data centres, which require large amounts of cooling.

Since the paint lacks metallic components, it is unlikely to interfere with electromagnetic signals, making it suitable for cooling telecommunications equipment.