Physics

Meteorology

Radiant heat

Engineering physics

Optics

Civil engineering

Engineering

Radiative cooling

Composite material

Architectural engineering

Materials science

Thermal

Computer science

Passive cooling

Environmental science

Scalability

Radiative transfer

Database

Thermal radiation

Thermodynamics

Joule

Cooling living environments is an increasingly urgent need in a warming world, and one that connects human comfort, energy usage, and climate change. Passive radiative cooling, which offers a “zero-energy, zero-carbon” way to cool terrestrial objects under the sky, can be a sustainable alternative or complement to conventional electrical cooling of buildings. This article explores super-white paints as a viable and readily deployable design for radiative cooling of buildings and discusses challenges associated with their use.

Paints as a Scalable and Effective Radiative Cooling Technology for Buildings