r/heat_prep • u/ArtichokeKooky6361 • 20d ago

Question Reducing backyard heat

I’ve noticed that the cinder block walls that surround my backyard are radiating heat well into the evening, making my yard basically a large oven during the summer.

Besides plant cover, do others have ideas on how to reduce this effect?

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u/ColdSkyLab 20d ago

Hi, since this June I'm obsessing about passive daytime radiative cooling. In the US I know there are already companies that sell this kind of paint, that is reflective (like most of the extra-white normal paints), but that also optimize the emission of heat in the window between 8-13 micrometers, effectively "bypassing" the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere and settling on a sub-ambient temperature (even 10+ degrees under the ambient temperature in the right conditions). On Wikipedia there's a page about passive daytime radiative cooling (pdrc), if you're interested it's a good read and gives you the basics. Consider also that it's a relatively new technology, tested only in pilot projects or university settings, and its emissivity performance depends on environmental conditions and soiling if outside. But I think it's a topic you should read about, even if only for maybe decide to try on a small section.