Here is a way to encourage buildings to dump their heat without the need for pumps and compressors: simply radiate it into outer space. The idea, described in this week’s Nature 515, 540–544 (27 November 2014) doi:10.1038/nature13883, is both cunning and simple. Outer space is very cold (about 3°C above absolute zero) and very big, so it is the perfect heat sink. Earth radiates heat into it all the time. But this is compensated for by the heat the planet receives from the sun. To encourage one part of Earth’s surface (such as an individual building) to cool down, all you need do in principle is reflect the sunlight which falls on it back into space, while also encouraging as much radiative cooling from it as possible.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 14:48:24 +0000
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