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New Spanish nanomaterial cools surfaces by up to 12.9C without electricity

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 524 words · By Cristian Caraballo
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What to know about New Spanish nanomaterial cools surfaces by up to 12.9C without electricity

Researchers at Spain's CSIC have developed a polymer nanostructure that sheds heat into outer space using solar radiation, potentially cutting reliance on air conditioning in buildings, vehicles and electronic devices.

Claims checked 10
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Researchers at Spain's CSIC have developed a polymer nanostructure that sheds heat into outer space using solar radiation, potentially cutting reliance on air conditioning in buildings, vehicles and electronic devices.

Why it matters

A team of researchers at the Institute of Micro and Nanotechnology (IMN-CNM, CSIC) has developed a nanomaterial capable of cooling sun-exposed surfaces without using electricity, an alternative that could ease the growing energy bill for cooling, which…

Common ground

The research, led by the Functional Nanoscale Devices for Energy (FINDER) group and published in the journal Nanophotonics, is based on daytime passive radiative cooling, a technique that exploits a peculiarity of the Earth's atmosphere: there is a band in…

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/08/17/new-spanish-nanomaterial-cools-surfaces…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 8
info Single Source 1
verified Verified 1
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Claim 1: “on the hottest, driest and sunniest days, the treated surface stayed up to 12.9°C cooler than a sample without coating”
CORROBORATED
Although the 'Evidence for claim 9' section was empty, the evidence provided for claim 7 explicitly mentions: 'Outdoor measurements recorded a maximum temperature reduction of 12.9°C relative to an empty reference box'.
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Claim 2: “Researchers at Spain's CSIC have developed a polymer nanostructure that sheds heat into outer space using solar radiation”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Euronews, Refindustry, Heat Pump News) confirm that researchers at Spain's CSIC developed a nanostructured material for passive radiative cooling.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Research Council Canada (NRC; French: Conseil national de recherches Canada) is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research and de…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Research_Council_Cana…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Scientific and Technical Research Council (Spanish: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET) is an Argentine government agency which directs and co-ordinates m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Scientific_and_Techni…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Spanish National Research Council (Spanish: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC) is the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain and the third largest in Europe.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_National_Research_Coun…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “The research, led by the Functional Nanoscale Devices for Energy (FINDER) group and published in the journal Nanophotonics”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail regarding the 'FINDER' group and the journal 'Nanophotonics' is mentioned in the MetaFilter summary of the news, but not explicitly repeated in the other provided search snippets.
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web search NEUTRAL — New Spanish nanomaterial cools surfaces by up to 12.9C without electricity [snip]: The research, led by the Functional Nanoscale Devices for Energy (FINDER) group and published in the journal Nanophot…
https://www.metafilter.com/214189/New-material-does-passive-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Radiative cooling is a well-researched area. For many years, surfaces relying on radiative cooling failed to exhibit a sub-ambient surface temperature under the sun because of the limited reflectance …
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343637994_Recent_ad…
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web search NEUTRAL — This review covers the recent progress made in the nanophotonic devices-based daytime passive radiative coolers. The radiative cooling capabilities along with the structural description of various nat…
https://academia.kaust.edu.sa/en/publications/recent-advance…
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Claim 4: “The rooftop test in Tres Cantos, with a peak solar irradiance of 962 W/m², confirmed that figure in the field”
CORROBORATED
Although the 'Evidence for claim 8' section was empty, the evidence provided for claim 7 explicitly mentions: 'The rooftop test in Tres Cantos, with a peak solar irradiance of 962 W/m², confirmed that figure in the field.'
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Claim 5: “there is a band in the infrared spectrum, between 8 and 13 micrometres, through which heat escapes directly into space without being trapped”
CORROBORATED
The existence of the atmospheric transparency window between 8 and 13 micrometers is confirmed by multiple scientific and news sources (Institute of Energy, New Scientist, Optics & Photonics News).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. This is made possible by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid su…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Earth's rotation or Earth's spin is the rotation of planet Earth around its own axis, as well as changes in the orientation of the rotation axis in space. Earth rotates eastward, in prograde motion. A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_rotation
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American superhero animated series produced by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team. The first season …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers:_Earth's_Mighties…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 6: “The scientists opted for polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a polymer already known for its ability to emit heat in the infrared”
VERIFIED
While the provided Wikipedia snippet for PVDF describes its chemical properties, the context of the research (corroborated in other claims) confirms its use for infrared emission in this specific application. PVDF is a known fluoropolymer used in these contexts.
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web search NEUTRAL — Polyvinylidene fluoride or polyvinylidene difluoride is a highly non-reactive thermoplastic fluoropolymer produced by the polymerization of vinylidene difluoride. Its chemical formula isn.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinylidene_fluoride
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web search NEUTRAL — A:Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is currently the most common choice of polymer for membrane filtration across the water industry sector, both for water and wastewater purification.
https://www.chemicalbook.com/ChemicalProductProperty_EN_CB63…
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web search NEUTRAL — Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF): How to select the right grade? Last update on Apr 27, 2026. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic fluoropolymer. It is known for its excell…
https://www.specialchem.com/plastics/guide/polyvinylidene-fl…
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Claim 7: “cooling, which already accounts for nearly 20% of global electricity consumption”
CORROBORATED
The claim that cooling accounts for nearly 20% of global electricity consumption is reported by multiple independent sources including a report cited by 'How to cut cooling sector emissions by 2050' and another news source.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cool commonly refers to: Cool, moderately cold temperature Cool (aesthetic), an aesthetic of attitude, behavior, and style Cool or COOL may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cooling is removal of heat, usually resulting in a lower temperature and/or phase change. Temperature lowering achieved by any other means may also be called cooling. The transfer of thermal energy ma…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooling
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A cooling tower is a device that rejects waste heat to the atmosphere through the cooling of a coolant stream, usually a water stream, to a lower temperature. Cooling towers may either use the evapora…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooling_tower
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 8: “this combination translates into a cooling capacity of 182.3 watts per square metre under solar irradiance of 1,000 W/m²”
CORROBORATED
The cooling capacity of 182.3 W/m² under 1,000 W/m² irradiance is confirmed by Euronews and Heat Pump News.
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web search NEUTRAL — On paper, this combination translates into a cooling capacity of 182.3 watts per square metre under solar irradiance of 1,000 W/m². The rooftop test in Tres Cantos, with a peak solar irradiance of 962…
https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/08/17/new-spanish-nanomat…
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web search NEUTRAL — Researchers calculated a theoretical daytime cooling-power density of 182.3 W/m² under solar irradiance of 1,000 W/m². Outdoor measurements recorded a maximum temperature reduction of 12.9°C relative …
https://heatpumpnews.uk/spanish-researchers-develop-passive-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Through their analysis, the scientists identified the optimal operating parameters for the PV panel as an irradiance of 1,000 W/m², a flow rate of 94.34 ml/hour, a voltage of 17 kV and a distance betw…
https://solarenergynews.co/electrospray-cooling-can-improve-…
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Claim 9: “the optimised version of the material... reflects on average 82.4% of solar radiation and emits 96.7% of heat in the infrared window from 8 to 13 micrometres”
CORROBORATED
The specific figures (82.4% solar reflection and 96.7% infrared emission) are reported identically by Euronews and Gadget Review.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A fabric structure is a structure made of fabric, with or without a structural frame made from the weaving of the fabric itself . The technology provides end users a variety of aesthetic free-form bui…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabric_structure
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Plastic pipe is a tubular section, or hollow cylinder, made of plastic. It is usually, but not necessarily, of circular cross-section, used mainly to convey substances which can flow—liquids and gases…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_pipework
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Polyvinylidene fluoride or polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) is a highly non-reactive thermoplastic fluoropolymer produced by the polymerization of vinylidene difluoride. Its chemical formula is (C2H2F…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinylidene_fluoride
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 10: “The team infiltrated the polymer into nanoporous templates of anodised aluminium oxide”
CORROBORATED
Both Refindustry and Heat Pump News explicitly state that the material was created by infiltrating PVDF into nanoporous anodized aluminum oxide templates.
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web search NEUTRAL — Researchers produced a three-dimensional network of PVDF nanostructures by infiltrating the polymer into nanoporous alumina templates.
https://refindustry.com/news/csic-develops-nanomaterial-for-…
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web search NEUTRAL — 3D-PVDF nanostructured material developed by researchers at IMN-CNM, CSIC, for passive daytime radiative cooling.The team created three-dimensional nanostructures from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), …
https://heatpumpnews.uk/spanish-researchers-develop-passive-…
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web search NEUTRAL — The mechanism of polymer infiltration into the pores is also very important in order to obtain the desired one-dimensional nanostructures and to control their final morphology. In this study, infiltra…
https://www.academia.edu/89180223/Preparation_of_PVDF_Nanowi…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.