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AmberHeardsGrodyTurd t1_ivfbeip wrote

Reply to comment by winkapp in Researchers designed a transparent window coating that could lower the temperature inside buildings, without expending a single watt of energy. This cooler may lead to an annual energy saving of up to 86.3 MJ/m² or 24 kWh/m² in hot climates by mossadnik

>At least bouncing it back into the environment doesn't add heat.

It does though. In fact it is such a huge problem that we literally design entire buildings around mitigating that part. You should look up "heat islands". Reflecting this heat back into the environment in an urban setting is not a great idea.

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winkapp t1_ivhsxj0 wrote

Again, you're completely wrong. According to the EPA,

> "Urban heat islands" occur when cities replace natural land cover with dense concentrations of pavement, buildings, and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat.

> Trees, green roofs, and　vegetation can help reduce urban heat island effects by shading building surfaces, deflecting radiation from the sun, and releasing moisture into the atmosphere.

Reflecting radiation improves the urban heat island effect, rather than making it worse.

Absorption of heat is what makes it worse, aka what we are doing right now.

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