Is it possible to calculate from that data the total surface area of all roofs? I think there is paint that converts solar energy into radiation that goes straight back into space. I wonder if using that paint on a significant percentage of buildings would matter.
Thanks for the video!
Yes, from chatgpt:
These are so-called “radiative cooling paints.”
Here’s how they work:
They reflect almost all sunlight, so the surface doesn’t heat up.
At the same time, they emit thermal radiation in a specific infrared range (around 8–13 micrometers) that can pass through the Earth’s atmosphere and escape into space.
Such paint can make surfaces cooler than the surrounding air, even in sunlight.
So it doesn’t convert solar energy into another form — it selectively reflects and emits infrared radiation that sends heat directly into space.
Are you perhaps thinking of radiative cooling, e.g. paint that reflects close to 100% of all light, excluding the spectrum at which room-temperature objects radiate heat, resulting in a net cooling effect?
E.g. [Revolutionary Paint: How to Make Surfaces Stay Cool in the Sun](https://youtu.be/dNs_kNilSjk)