What if your house changed color with the seasons? This ‘climate-responsive’ paint could make it happen
Editor’s note: Impact design It is a series of highlighting the innovative solutions of societies affected by the climate crisis, natural disasters and other human emergency situations.
When Joe Dostit bought a new home in Katnouh, New York, he wanted to make him a friend as environmentally as possible. As a designer and inventor, he immediately found himself wondering whether the outer part of his home can play a role in mitigating the effects of climate change.
“One of the things I have not thought about before is: What color I should draw for the house?” He told CNN, and he spoke in a video call.
This is known Buildings with light colors The heat reflects and remains cooler while absorbing it darker – just compare the traditions of black housing in the Scandinavian countries to the white homes in the warm Mediterranean countries. But what shade will perform better in a climate like New York, with hot summer but dark winter and snow?
Doucet started with 3D printing small models of his home, with similar levels of insulation, drawing them in different colors. Over the course of a year, it was found that in the winter the inner temperature of the black model on average 7 degrees on average Fahrenheit is warmer than eggs. In the summer, the white model house was 12 degrees Fahrenheit.
“It was not the answer,” Should I draw it in black or white? “The answer was: It should be black in the winter and white in the summer.” “It is not really possible to draw a house twice a year. I started thinking, certainly there are other ways to do this?”
The paint that developed dosets changes depending on the temperature. Joe Doucet X Partners
Dosset’s solution was inspired by his interest in his childhood with mood rings, which features a human “stones” that change the appearance according to the temperature of its wearer finger.
“I remember a magic I had a mood ring I received as a child and I really try to search and understand what it was,” he explained. “I knew, even when he was 7 years old, that (the color of the variable ring) had nothing to do with my mood, and that there is a kind of chemistry in playing. The chemistry that creates this change is very similar to what I used.”
The relevant process is called a thermal response, which indicates how liquid crystals are interacted with atmosphere temperature. In a mood loop, these liquid crystals are found inside the “precious stones”, which causes its color to be changed.
Doucet has developed a kind of thermal pigment that contains crystals and began to try tin from regular additions and different additives. The result was a substance that could change the color by absorbing the ultraviolet light (which produces heat) over a certain temperature.
Despite what he called “great success” in his initial experiences, Dossit found that his new paints would slowly turn into sunlight. But after the experiment for another year, the designer solved the problem with the help of a preventive added added. Its respondent coating, as describes it, appears “very dark gray” less than 77 degrees Fahrenheit and gradually turns into lighter with a high temperature. Dostit has since submitted a patent request for technology.
He admits that his invention will not be especially useful for people in hot or cold climates. But Doset believes that its coating can be a “changing toys” for those who live in moderate regions in the world – including large parts of North America, Europe and Asia – where medium temperatures are usually higher than 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the warmer months but not less than 26.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the coldest.
Change with seasons
Last year was the most hot year. It was also the first evaluation year Break 1.5 ° C above pre -industry levels, which is a decisive climate threshold.
He explained that his invention believes that his invention is a direct response to this changing climate, not the new innovative technology: “It could have been done 70 years ago, and there was no need for that.” “Climate change was not a problem at that time.”
But more than assisting home owners responding to high temperatures, Doucet can have an impact on climate pollution amid increased energy costs and relying on air conditioning (in 2020, 88 % of American families are used, an increase of 77 % two decades ago).
Building operation represents 30 % of global energy consumption, according to the International Energy Agency. But improved thermal control houses consume less energy by reducing the demand for both air conditioning and Heating. Dossit’s “conservative” modeling predicts its request that families can help between 15 % to 30 % on energy costs.
Santorini Island in Greece on July 3, 2016. The white paint buildings reflect sunlight, helping them to cold. Creative touch photography, limited
Through the Scandinavian countries, black houses are often drawn like this film in Norway. One of the reasons is that black surfaces can absorb more heat than other colors. – Richard Kamins/Albin Photo album
Besides science, Dostit believes that there is beauty in the idea that buildings may change with seasons, such as leaves on a tree. “There is a poetic thing about seeing the built environment and the built world that changes with the seasons in the way that nature works,” he said.
He explained that the new paints that respond to the climate not only need to change from white to black: “You can hint this color to a large extent.” The house can turn light blue in the warmer months before turning dark blue in the winter, for example.
Therefore, with the development of the technique of the initial model, how long can people draw their homes?
“From five to 10 years,” Dusit said, alignment that its spread will depend on how people interact with it. He said so far, the responses ranged from “amazing” to “I do not believe you.”
The changing political climate may also affect the path of its product to the market. President Donald Trump’s promise was created “ending” his predecessor Joe Biden, clean energy policies-which he called “New Green Fraud”-an uncertain climate to invest in the environment. Dostit, who is also involved in the wind energy project, says the resulting change in how investors respond to green projects made him hesitant to raise and go investment capital on its own.
Instead, he hopes to find a partner who can introduce the invention to the market, such as the paint company, a chemical company or a mixture of the two. “When parking changes,” he said, referring to the Trump administration plans to reduce subsidies and tax discounts for clean energy projects, “You need to change with them.”
However, Doucet seems confident that its creation has a possible large market. The paint can not only be used in homes, but also large buildings such as schools, factories and other structures that require an internal environment governed. Although he is keen not to increase the effect of his invention.
“There is no single climate solution. It is a series of small steps and procedures,” he said. “But this can be meaningful.”
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