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Climate tech firm Pitra wraps up cooling paint tests in India
The tests were conducted at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala as part of an international collaboration
British father and son team develop world’s coolest paint in home garage during Covid-19 lockdown / Image: Pitra
Passive-cooling technology firm Pitra, founded by father and son duo, Howard and Robert Atkin, has wrapped up its tests in India to validate the ultra-cooling properties of its paint, a company release said on September 20. The tests were conducted at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala as part of an international collaboration.
The company has developed one of the world’s most effective passive-cooling paint formulas, capable of reducing surface temperature by up to 64°C (114.4°F) compared to a black surface, the release stated.
Laboratory tests began in 2022 at the University of Leeds, UK. Later, the paint formula was shipped to India for further test work under the guidance of professor P.R. Biju, within the University’s School of Pure and Applied Physics.
South Asian field tests demonstrated a decrease in temperature of up to 7°C compared to standard cooling paints currently available in the market, the release stated. The father-son duo has since partnered with US-based Venture Accelerator firm Apater Labs to harness the paint formula’s immense commercial potential.
“We’ve been fortunate to work on several projects with Leeds University and their resident expert in Functional Materials, Professor Gin Jose,” said Rob. “Through Professor Jose’s connections we have been able to extend our outdoor product testing programme overseas in India,” he further said.
Howard said the Harrogate-based business is now planning to accelerate its testing programme across the UK, USA, Caribbean, Africa and the Far East, with projects under consideration in Miami, Phoenix, Barbados, Singapore and Ghana. “The world is desperately in need of more solutions to mitigate the heat crisis and reduce over-reliance on energy-dependent cooling systems,” he said.
“Our testing journey has gone from solar simulators and labs in the UK to field tests in India. We look forward to accelerating this testing work in mixed settings – including agricultural, industrial and housing sites – to get the product to market most safely and efficiently,” he further said.
Pirta has received support from a series of UK government-backed authorities, investment arms and innovation accelerators, including Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, Innovate UK Edge and the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), the release said.
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