TVB News recently reported that an academic-led startup from PolyU, Umi Coating New Material Technology Company Limited, had collaborated with the Home Affairs Department to initiate a pilot home-cooling scheme this summer. The scheme aimed to apply sub-ambient cooling materials to the rooftops of squatter and old residential buildings.

The PolyU startup was co-founded by Prof. Jian-Guo Dai, Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. To lower indoor temperatures and reduce electricity consumption, the startup offered a pro-bono coating service to 15 squatter buildings in Pok Fu Lam village using its own patented sub-ambient radiative cooling technology.

In tests, the coated surfaces were found to have the ability to lower surface temperatures by 20-30°C and reduce indoor temperatures by 2-4°C. Mr Edward So, CEO of the PolyU startup, explained that the coating material reflects energy from the Sun and radiates the absorbed heat back into space, resulting in the cooling of buildings.

TVB News: https://polyu.me/3EKPTZy