Against the backdrop of accelerating “dual carbon” goals and rising energy-saving demands in buildings and industry, a novel material—radiative cooling paint—is stepping into the spotlight. This technology requires no electricity and relies solely on physical principles to cool surfaces. Once considered a “black tech” confined to labs and niche projects, it is now moving toward broader commercial adoption. In 2026, has this innovation truly reached an inflection point—shifting from “technical breakthrough” to “widespread application”?
Technical Bottlenecks Are Being Overcome
One of the core challenges limiting large-scale deployment of radiative cooling paint is the lack of high-performance pigments. Conventional rutile titanium dioxide (TiO₂), while offering a high refractive index (～2.76) and excellent opacity, has a bandgap below 4.13 eV. This causes it to absorb ultraviolet (UV) light, making it unsuitable for radiative cooling topcoats that require high solar reflectance across the full spectrum.
Existing compliant radiative cooling pigments can achieve high reflectance in the UV, visible (VIS), and near-infrared (NIR) ranges thanks to bandgaps >4.13 eV—but they typically suffer from low refractive indices (generally <2.0). To compensate, formulators must increase film thickness or pigment volume concentration (PVC), which not only raises material and labor costs but can also compromise mechanical strength and weatherability. Thus, developing new pigments that combine both a wide bandgap and high refractive index has become a critical technical priority.
Equally challenging is the issue of color. Currently, commercially available radiative cooling paints are almost exclusively white. Colored versions remain largely confined to academic research, hindered by poor weather resistance, high cost, and immature scale-up processes. Solving these issues would unlock applications in architecture, automotive finishes, consumer electronics, and other sectors where aesthetics matter.
Product Systems Are Diversifying Rapidly
Early radiative cooling coatings relied primarily on acrylic or polyurethane binders and were deployed mainly in color-insensitive infrastructure like grain silos and substations. However, as end-user requirements grow more complex, the industry is rapidly diversifying its resin systems.
High-performance binders—including inorganic silicates, fluoropolymers, silicones, thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), and even powder-coating-specific resins—are now being integrated into radiative cooling formulations. This enhances durability, corrosion resistance, and flexibility, enabling tailored solutions for different climates and substrates such as metal, concrete, and glass.
More importantly, applications are expanding beyond pilot projects into mainstream markets. Beyond traditional uses in storage and power facilities, demand is surging in building energy efficiency, renewable energy (e.g., cooling backsheets for photovoltaic panels), telecom base stations, refrigerated transport, and petrochemical storage tanks. Radiative cooling paint is evolving from a niche add-on into a standard component of energy-efficient system design.
Industry Collaboration Is Accelerating Adoption
Technology commercialization hinges on ecosystem collaboration—and recent developments confirm momentum is building:
- Aorun New Materials and Nanyang Technological University are co-developing applications for buildings, photovoltaics, and glass coatings, with deployments scaling across high-temperature regions like Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
- Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a water-based, carbon quantum dot–enabled nanocoating that achieves up to 25°C of sub-ambient cooling and supports multi-color tuning—pointing the way toward eco-friendly, colored products.
- Keshun Group and Moguang Xinneng have formed a strategic alliance, combining Keshun’s distribution channels with Moguang’s technical expertise to accelerate market penetration in construction and industrial sectors.
- Weilan Times, a subsidiary of Chongqing Three Gorges Paint, won third prize at the 3rd China–ASEAN Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition with its “zero-energy radiative cooling optical coating” project.
- On the policy front, national initiatives like “Better Materials for Better Homes” now include radiative cooling composite coatings as key R\&D targets, with industry leaders like Oriental Yuhong actively investing in development.
Together, these efforts are forging a closed-loop ecosystem: from materials R\&D → product development → real-world validation → policy support.
Conclusion: From “Functional” to “User-Friendly”—Just One Step Away
In 2026, radiative cooling paint stands on the cusp of mass commercialization. With breakthroughs in high-refractive-index pigments, stable colored formulations, and versatile resin platforms, this passive cooling technology—literally radiating heat into outer space—could soon move beyond specialized applications into everyday use.
It may not arrive with fanfare, but quietly on rooftops, vehicle roofs, cell towers, and solar panels—delivering zero-energy, zero-emission cooling that tangibly helps cool our planet. This silent revolution might be closer than we think.
