How we can turn the cold of outer space into a renewable resource | Aaswath Raman | TED Talk

In his TED Talk “How we can turn the cold of outer space into a renewable resource,” physicist Aaswath Raman focuses on the alarming issue of the growing demand for cooling systems worldwide. Today, cooling systems collectively account for 17% of the electricity we use, and by 2050, their energy use could grow sixfold, driven by increasing usage in Asian and African countries. This has the potential to cause a feedback loop where cooling systems alone become one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases later this century. However, Raman explains that the cold of outer space can be turned into a sustainable energy source through the use of new materials that allow us to alter the flow of light and heat. Raman proposes that even a 10-20% improvement in the efficiency of every cooling system could have an enormous impact on our power generation/distribution and future sustainability.