Cold Surface project develops photoluminescent facades to reduce heat in buildings

A Spanish-led research project called Cold Surface is developing prefabricated building envelopes with photoluminescent materials that can reduce surface temperatures by up to 2 °C and cut cooling energy demand by 5–10%. The initiative aims to mitigate the urban heat island effect, where cities absorb solar radiation and become significantly hotter than surrounding areas. Source: ABC, El Español

How it works

Unlike conventional reflective paints, the new materials absorb ultraviolet radiation and re-emit it as visible light, reducing the amount of energy converted into heat. The consortium — coordinated by URDECON and including AIMPLAS (Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico) and the IETCC-CSIC — is also developing rare-earth-free luminescent compounds to improve durability and compatibility with concrete. Source: ABC

Benefits

• Temperature reduction: Up to 2 °C lower surface temperature on building envelopes. Source: ABC, El Español
• Energy savings: 5–10% decrease in energy required for air conditioning, lowering electricity bills and emissions. Source: ABC
• Urban heat island mitigation: Less heat accumulation in cities, improving comfort during heatwaves. Source: ABC

Next steps

The project is establishing new testing and simulation protocols because no widely accepted standards exist for evaluating photoluminescent materials in construction. These efforts will help bring the technology from the lab to real-world buildings across Europe. Source: ABC, El Español