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Spotted: Temperatures around the world are on the rise – particularly in building-dense cities that readily absorb the heat. Australia’s Brisbane and Melbourne, for instance, are likely to regularly reach 40 degrees Celsius during the summer by 2060, and, in Sydney, temperatures could climb to 50 degrees Celsius. One Aussie startup is on a mission to keep the built environment cool in the face of global warming.

Dewpoint Innovations, which was spun out of the University of Sydney, has devised an innovative roof coating that reflects a large proportion of the sun’s solar energy, rather than absorbing it, which keeps the coated surface and surrounding air cooler. This helps to keep indoor temperatures much lower during hot summer days, meaning less money (and energy) needs to be spent running carbon-intensive air conditioning systems.

Extreme heat is also often accompanied by another weather hazard: drought. Not only does Dewpoint’s paint coating keep buildings cooler, but if the surface gets cold enough and there is enough vapour in the air, the dual solution also condenses this atmospheric vapour to form water droplets. When the droplets are big enough, they roll down and can be collected by a normal rooftop water collection system to create a localised, energy-free water source.

Moving forward, Dewpoint Operations Manager Dil Khosa told Springwise: “We plan to expand our technology’s reach globally, enhancing its efficiency and accessibility, and developing partnerships to ensure those in the most need can benefit from our dual-purpose solution.”

Written By: Matilda Cox