The team said the cooling material designed for vertical surfaces overcomes the limitations of conventional radiative coolers, which work best when used on horizontal surfaces such as rooftops.
The directional emitter outperforms flat emitters, which absorb radiation from the ground, the researchers said in an article published in the peer-reviewed journal Science this month.
Lead author Li Wei, a professor at the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the new emitter could play a crucial role in combating climate change.
“The new emitter offers the potential to reduce reliance on energy-intensive air conditioning, mitigate the urban heat island effect and, when integrated with other strategies, substantially lower energy demand while supporting global sustainability efforts.”
The team also included researchers from Peking University, Stanford University and City University of New York.
