A new project that is being developed by Stanford scientists and researchers is showing a great deal of promise regarding solar panels that cool buildings. What makes this discovery unique is the method that is being used. Basically, this idea removes air conditioning units from the cooling process. These researchers have figured out that with the use of particular engineering insights, heat can be sent back into space instead of being absorbed by the roof of the buildings and then heating up the inside of the structure making it uncomfortable for the people inside as well as causing problems for heat sensitive computers and other electronic equipment.

Professor Shanhui Fan has developed solar panels that cool buildings with the use of particular materials and fabrics. The structure's temperatures, according to Professor Fan's work, can be changed regarding how heat and light react to certain things. His discovery relates to panels placed on rooftops that can cool structures during hot summer days with the use of the same theories as thermal radiation. These solar panels that cool buildings would be made of specific materials that are designed to transfer energy. In the case of buildings, the transfer would be made from the top of the roof into the atmosphere. These emissions of heat would be radiated in certain wavelengths that would then get the most out of the process allowing for an inexpensive way to cool buildings without the use of outside energy sources. Even by painting structures white instead of black, we know that we can cool without absorbing heat, but instead by reflecting heat.

These panels, like solar panels, would have no moving parts, but would make a transfer of energy with a cooling effect of one hundred watts per square meter of space. The vision for the future of this type of cooling system is that eventually the heat that is being removed may actually be turned into electricity with the coordinated use of solar panels along with this system.

Solar panels that cool buildings might actually be the wave of the future regarding warehouse types of structures. It can also be considered for the use of homes and other smaller structures that do not have the money behind them to pay for air conditioning units. The cost of the fabrics being researched regarding this project is very inexpensive. That can help save energy worldwide and allow for cool temperatures in parts of the world where it is really needed.