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

BIZ Experiences 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, BIZ Experiences, and Condé Nast. He has held executive roles at Glamour, Fitness, and BIZ Experiences 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 BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

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

Franchise

How to Prepare Your Business — And Yourself — For a Smooth Exit

After decades of building your business, turning it over to someone else can be emotional. But with the right mindset and a strong plan, it can also be your proudest moment.

Franchise

10 No-Office-Required Businesses You Can Start for as Little as $5,000

With strong Franchise 500 rankings and investment levels starting under $5,000, these brands are ready for new owners to hit the ground running.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

These careers are most likely to be affected by generative AI, based on data from 200,000 conversations with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot.