Thousands of years ago, the ancient Egyptians invented a blue pigment, which was mainly used to draw gods and royalty, foreign media reported. The pigment, derived from calcium, copper silicate, is now known as Egyptian Blue, and new research has found that it can save energy and generate electricity.
Previous studies have shown that the surface coated with Egyptian blue can absorb incoming visible light and emit it in the form of near-infrared light. In a recent new study, scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that the pigment had a fluorescence effect 10 times times stronger than initially thought.
In fact, the pigment releases almost 100% of the photons it absorbs, and energy efficiency can reach 70%.
The research team, led by Paul Berdahl, now hopes to apply the pigment to paint or tiles on the roof of the building, which will act as a reflection of sunlight to keep the interior of the building cool and reduce the need for power-consuming air conditioners.
In addition, if the pigment is coated on a window glass, the near-infrared light emitted by it can be absorbed by the photovoltaic cell at the edge of the window and then converted into electrical energy.
