Reversible insoles repurpose footstep energy into heating and cooling

Heated insoles we’ve looked at previously generally use batteries to create electrical heat for warming up icy toes. French company Solecooler has a different idea. It bypasses the electrical hardware and gets its power straight from the source: the fe… Continue reading Reversible insoles repurpose footstep energy into heating and cooling

Ionic cooling system melts and freezes material to cycle temperature

Heating and cooling systems are among the biggest guzzlers of energy, contributing to a vicious cycle of climate change that then drives higher use of heating and cooling. Now engineers at Berkeley Lab have developed a new technology that heats and coo… Continue reading Ionic cooling system melts and freezes material to cycle temperature

World’s whitest paint is now thin enough to coat cars and planes

Last year, engineers at Purdue University used their expertise in materials science to produce the world’s whitest paint, with an ability to reflect around 98% of incoming sunlight and therefore holds great potential when it comes to energy efficiency … Continue reading World’s whitest paint is now thin enough to coat cars and planes

IBM builds huge super-fridge colder than space to chill quantum computers

Quantum computing requires extremely cold temperatures. To that end, IBM has built and demonstrated a huge “super-fridge” codenamed Project Goldeneye that chills things colder than outer space.Continue ReadingCategory: Computers, TechnologyTags: Quantu… Continue reading IBM builds huge super-fridge colder than space to chill quantum computers

Hydrogel glass windows let in more light and less heat

After the summer so much of the world has sweltered through this year, better ways to cool buildings are on a lot of people’s minds. Researchers in China have now spruced up the humble window with hydrogel-glass, a material that can selectively block h… Continue reading Hydrogel glass windows let in more light and less heat

Solid-state refrigerant works under pressure for greener cooling

As useful as refrigerators and air conditioners are, the gases they use as refrigerants can leak into the atmosphere and become major contributors to climate change. Now engineers at Harvard have demonstrated a new prototype cooling device that uses a … Continue reading Solid-state refrigerant works under pressure for greener cooling

World’s first liquid-nitrogen outdoor cooling system set for trials

Israeli company Green Kinoko is preparing for the first public tests of a remarkable clean outdoor cooling system. The Kinsho system operates like the inverse of an outdoor cafe heater, cooling several tables per unit without using any electricity.Cont… Continue reading World’s first liquid-nitrogen outdoor cooling system set for trials