Zero-energy cooling named a WEF top 10 emerging technology
Passive radiative cooling, a technology that beams heat into space without using electricity, moves from lab to rooftop.
2026 has been brutally hot, with scorching heat waves across Western Europe (temps topping 104°F). Heat kills roughly 500,000 people a year globally. Many homes lack air conditioning. And fossil-fuel-powered AC makes the problem worse by dumping energy-intensive heat into cities.
There are alternatives. Passive radiative cooling, a zero-energy technology, is named one of WEF’s top 10 emerging technologies for 2026. It works by reflecting 95% of sunlight while radiating heat through a narrow infrared window where Earth’s atmosphere is transparent, letting heat escape straight into space. This lets surfaces cool below ambient temperature without using any electricity. SRI has developed and is commercializing its Self-Cooling Paint™, showing up to a 45°F decrease in temperature versus bare metal.
The World Economic Forum covered the innovation in a recent article, “Zero-energy cooling could provide relief from the heat,” and hosted a webinar, “Too hot to ignore: The technologies cooling a hotter world.”
Learn more about SRI’s Self-Cooling Paint or get in touch with the Cooling Paint team.