New Solid-State Cooling Technology Holds Promise for Long-Lasting and Sustainable Cooling Solutions
In the face of global warming, cities around the world are experiencing increasing temperatures, creating a greater need for efficient and sustainable cooling solutions. While current vapor compression cooling systems contribute to further heating cities, ancient Arab structures have long been utilizing sophisticated unpowered cooling techniques through the use of aquifers below. Now, new solid-state cooling technology is being developed that may not only emulate these ancient techniques but also last for 100 years.
According to a recent report by Zhar Research, titled “Solid State Cooling Markets 2024-2044,” this new technology holds great promise for providing long-lasting and sustainable cooling solutions. It draws inspiration from the Pantheon, a structure in Rome dedicated in 128 C.E. that still stands today with minimal maintenance. The Ancient Romans were known for their foresight in building structures that would last for thousands of years, and this new solid-state cooling technology aims to follow in their footsteps.
The report highlights the need for more emphasis on long-life, battery-free technologies in the field of electronics and electrical engineering. Dr. Peter Harrop, CEO of Zhar Research, warns against the current trend of disposable electronics, which often have a short lifespan and contribute to pollution.
“Worst is electronics,” says Harrop. “The most popular electronic devices in numbers are backscatter tags notably 64 billion passive RFID and anti-theft tags sold yearly, most with a microchip and none with a battery. They are disposable – typically trashed soon after deployment.”
Harrop emphasizes the importance of specifying and creating electronics with long life in mind, as well as developing self-healing mechanisms to extend their lifespan. While the medical sector is heavily researching self-healing materials for healthcare, there is a lack of focus on self-healing materials for electronics.
In addition, the report addresses the issue of short-lived lithium-ion batteries and the need for longer-lasting energy storage solutions. While pumped hydro schemes are ideal for storing energy from wind and solar power, they are often blocked by environmentalists. As a result, many are turning to lithium-ion batteries, which have a short lifespan and pose a fire risk.
Harrop suggests looking to the success of wireless sensors and low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) nodes, which have a long lifespan and require minimal maintenance. These devices, which are part of the Internet of Things (IoT), use energy harvesting techniques to power themselves, eliminating the need for batteries.
However, Harrop acknowledges that there is still much research to be done in creating solid-state materials with 50-100-year life and reducing costs by at least 80% to increase sales. He believes that the next generation of wireless communications, 6G Communication Phase 2, planned for 2035, will play a key role in enabling the IoT by providing energy to nodes without the need for energy storage.
The report also highlights the potential of supercapacitors and lithium-ion capacitors (LIC) as alternative energy storage solutions, as they have a longer lifespan and are safer than lithium-ion batteries. However, there is a lack of research on creating compact energy storage options with a lifespan of 50 years or more, and Harrop believes that the electronics industry must learn from other fields such as civil, electrical, and medical engineering to make progress in this area.
In conclusion, the report urges for a shift in focus towards long-lasting and sustainable technologies in the field of electronics and electrical engineering. As Harrop puts it, “In electronics, we can only fix things when we are honest about problems. We must learn from civil, electrical and medical engineering. They are often ahead of us.”
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.