The universe is a cold, cold place, literally. And the cold of the universe is an untapped renewable energy resource, researchers at Stanford University found.
Researcher Aaswath Raman of Stanford’s Ginzton Laboratory tells Fast Company Exist that space can become a thermodynamic resource, and he’s working on a building material that’s ultra-reflective to the sun’s rays, bouncing significant amounts of heat to keep a building cool.
“The technology—passive cooling that works during the daytime—could help reduce the need for wasteful air conditioning,” Fast Company Exist reports, adding that air conditioning accounts for 15 percent of all primary U.S. electricity demand.
