
Cooling panel sends excess heat back into outer space - joshwa
http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/15/cooling-panel-sends-excess-heat-back-into-outer-space/
======
drakaal
It works well until it gets dust on it. They should read some of their own
papers. The biggest challenge to reflection is that it only works when the
surface is still reflective. If you lose 10% of reflection the system goes
from cooler to heater.

Places like Phoenix if you have a dust storm while you are out of town the
next day your Grandma dies of heat stroke because the "AC" is out.

I'm certain there are applications for this tech, but not as a replacement for
AC in most locations.

~~~
just2n
What's the downside of cleaning it? Is it irreparably damaged by dust? Or does
a micron-thick layer of dust render it ineffective?

We built windshield wipers to clean car windows. I think we can manage
something to clean these automatically. In the meantime, putting on a pair of
work shoes and getting out the ladder once a week/month to polish the mirror
hardly seems like a downside given it might be able to cool a medium-large
home at no cost.

~~~
MichaelApproved
_"putting on a pair of work shoes and getting out the ladder once a week/month
to polish the mirror hardly seems like a downside"_

I also wonder about why cleaning isn't a solution but, if it is to be a
solution, then that solution must be automated.

An automated system would be cost effective, dependable and conserve water. In
the hottest places, where water is naturally scarce, the water would need to
be reclaimed, filtered and reused in an efficient manner.

~~~
drakaal
These are basically super mirrors. Have you ever tried cleaning the mirror in
your bathroom to a spot free shine? Now imagine you had that outside, and you
had to do it with bird poo, and dust, but you couldn't scratch the mirror, you
couldn't use anything that would streak, and you have to be able to do it
quickly enough that you don't interfere with the cooling...

~~~
just2n
Perhaps nanotechnology can provide a transparent, repellant surface?

Even if it's prohibitively expensive for say your bathroom mirror, this would
be a good application for justifying cost.

------
tocomment
How does this work with conservation of energy? It seems like free cooling?

~~~
craftkiller
I'm no scientist but it seems its not destroying the energy, its just
reflecting it out into space

