A student research team from MAE Department has won the International Sustainability Award in the James Dyson Award for their invention “E-COATING”. This marks the first time a team from the Greater China region has won this international award.

E-COATING is a cooling coating embodies the principles of circular economy. It is made from recycled waste glass, manufactured at a lower cost, and capable of reducing the indoor temperature of buildings without using electricity. The design team members include Chan Hoi Fung Ronaldo, a 4th year student majoring in Energy and Environmental Engineering, and Xiao Can, a 2nd year PhD student majoring in Mechanical and Automation Engineering.

In an experiment, two building models with concrete roofs were exposed to intense sunlight. The indoor temperature of the model with E-COATING on the roof was approximately 5 degrees Celsius lower than the unpainted model, while the surface temperature of the model with E-COATING was about 20 degrees Celsius lower.

Chan Hoi Fung Ronaldo explained, “E-COATING can effectively reflect solar radiation, and it can dissipate infrared heat in 8-13μm that can pass through the atmospheric window to the outer space, resulting in a cooling effect of the paint.”

Xiao Can added, “The inspiration behind our invention of E-COATING stems from the urgent environmental issues at hand, including global warming and urban solid waste problems. We firmly believe that sustainable development is the key to creating a better future. Therefore, we hope to contribute our efforts to alleviate the global environmental issues.”

The E-COATING research team emerged victorious in the Hong Kong leg of the James Dyson Design Award 2023 in September this year. This achievement qualified them to compete with over 100 entries from 29 different countries and regions worldwide. Their work was selected as one of the global shortlists of 20 pioneering inventions and ultimately stood out among the entries, earning them the prestigious International Sustainability Award, as judged by a panel of Dyson engineers from around the world.

About E-COATING

E-COATING is made from recycled glass that embodies the principles of a circular economy.

(From left) Chan Hoi Fung Ronaldo and Xiao Can.

CUHK Press Release: Click here!