The idea is certainly suggestive: transforming walls or ceilings into radiators, applying a simple coat of paint and connecting them to electricity; without the need for mechanical components, expensive installations or renovations, and with practically non-existent maintenance. How realistic it is has yet to be demonstrated, but this is what a new technology developed by BeDimensional, a spin-off of the Italian Institute of Technology (Iit) in Genoa dedicated to two-dimensional materials, promises to do: a graphene paint designed for domestic heating, and capable – according to the producers – of rivaling the best heat pump systems in terms of efficiency, the top of the range in terms of consumption and performance.
Graphene paint works thanks to the Joul effect, the physical principle – exploited by all devices that produce heat using an electrical resistance – whereby a conductive body produces heat when an electric current passes through it. The graphene contained in the paint takes care of this, and being a two-dimensional material (with the thickness of a single atom) it allows you to create a very thin conductive lattice on the entire surface to which it is applied. By then connecting two simple copper electrodes to supply electricity, the wall, ceiling or panel painted with graphene begins to emit infrared radiation and heat the environment in which they are located.
How it works
The operation is similar to that of long-wave infrared panels, which have appeared on the market in recent years: infrared radiation heats objects by radiation, unlike what electric heaters and traditional convection radiators do, producing a sense of heat and immediate thermal comfort, without directly heating the air in the room. A technology that has strengths and weaknesses, but which is gaining ground at least for some specific uses.
BeDimensional’s paint aims to revolutionize the market by surpassing, in terms of practicality, traditional infrared panels: if installing an independent radiant element is certainly simpler than building an entire thermo-hydraulic system for the apartment – one of the main advantages of infrared panels over traditional heating systems – giving a coat of paint where you want to produce heat is even easier.
Efficient heat?
According to analyzes carried out by another IIT spin-off, BuildTech srl, graphene paint allows for a 40 percent reduction in electricity consumption compared to conventional electric heaters, and reaches levels of energy efficiency that would make it competitive even as an alternative for heat pumps. On this aspect, for the moment, we must take them at their word. What is certain is that even if consumption were those declared by the manufacturer, it could hardly prove to be a winning solution in all circumstances: all electricity-based heating systems are, by definition, less efficient than heat pump systems in terms of their ability to convert energy into heat; and by not heating the air in the rooms, but only the objects contained therein, once the infrared elements are turned off you almost immediately feel cold again.
Opinions on this matter are varied, as are the interests in the field. But many agree that infrared heating can be a convenient solution where invasive renovations to install heat pump radiators are not wanted or not possible; to integrate an existing heating system in particular areas of the house, such as the bathroom; and in environments where little time is spent, and where heating is therefore only needed at certain times of the day. In all these cases, transforming walls and ceilings into an infrared panel with graphene paint could be even more practical and economical. And if what BeDimensional says about its paint turns out to be correct, it’s likely we’ll hear about it again very soon.