No More AC? Scientist Invents the 'World's Whitest Paint' To Cool Down Your House The wonder paint reflects 95 percent of the sun's rays, making surfaces up to 19 degrees cooler.

By Jonathan Small

A scientist at Purdue University concocted a white paint that can cool down buildings and prevent global temperatures from rising.

Xiulin Ruan, a professor of mechanical engineering, created white paint that reflects 98% of the sun's rays away from the Earth's surface. When applied to the roof of structures, the paint cools down surfaces as much as eight degrees during the day and up to 19 degrees cooler at night, according to a report in The New York Times.

"If you were to use this paint to cover a roof area of about 1,000 square feet [93 m2], we estimate that you could get a cooling power up to 10 kilowatts. That's more powerful than the air conditioners used by most houses," Ruan said.

Scientists consider paints like this transformational for cooling down the planet and reducing electricity use, as buildings with this kind of white paint would require less air conditioning.

And Ruan doesn't want to stop at buildings. Last year, he announced that he has invented a version of this paint for vehicles, too.

Related: Going, Going, Gone! Climate Change Is Causing More Baseball Homeruns

World record holder

How white is the paint? In 2021, the Guinness Book of World Records named it the whitest paint on earth. But Ruan Ruan told the Times that wasn't the goal.

"We weren't really trying to develop the world's whitest paint," Dr. Ruan said. "We wanted to help with climate change, and now it's more of a crisis and getting worse. We wanted to see if it was possible to help save energy while cooling down the Earth."

Unfortunately, the paint won't be on sale for about another year, as researchers are working on improving its durability and resistance to dirt.

But with the planet recording record temperatures almost daily, the need for a global paint job couldn't come fast enough.

Jonathan Small

Entrepreneur Staff

Founder, Strike Fire Productions

Jonathan Small is a bestselling author, journalist, producer, and podcast host. For 25 years, he has worked as a sought-after storyteller for top media companies such as The New York Times, Hearst, Entrepreneur, and Condé Nast. He has held executive roles at Glamour, Fitness, and Entrepreneur and regularly contributes to The New York Times, TV Guide, Cosmo, Details, Maxim, and Good Housekeeping. He is the former “Jake” advice columnist for Glamour magazine and the “Guy Guru” at Cosmo.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'Everyone Can Profit From It': What Is DeepSeek? China's 'Cheap' to Make AI Chatbot Climbs to the Top of Apple, Google U.S. App Stores

DeepSeek researchers claim it was developed for less than $6 million, a contrast to the $100 million it takes U.S. tech startups to create AI.

Business News

Elon Musk's DOGE Is Hiring People Eager to 'Work Long Hours' to Eliminate 'Waste, Fraud and Abuse' in the Government. Here's How to Apply.

The Department of Government Efficiency is hiring U.S. citizens to help cut spending and headcounts in the federal government.

Business News

'I Love Doing Product Reviews': Bill Gates Stepped Down from Microsoft in 2020, But Admits He Still Spends 15% of His Time Working at the Company

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates also said he is still close with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

Business News

Uber's CEO Says Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the jobs of human drivers are safe for the next decade, but after that, another type of driver will take over.