Researchers in Scotland are testing electric wallpaper as a cleaner alternative to gas-based interior heating. If the trial goes well, it could allow people living in cold climates to keep their homes warm without pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
As ExtremeTech reports, two Scottish universities collaborated with the Glasgow City Council on the project. The wallpaper can be installed on the ceiling—meaning it should technically be called electric ceiling paper, but that’s not quite as catchy. The paper contains thin strips of copper and graphene that, when powered, release infrared radiation. This radiation reportedly begins to warm the home within three minutes of being powered on.
Compared with gas-burning mechanisms, which comprise most of Scotland’s home heating implements and degrade interior air quality, the electric wallpaper has no effect on the air inside a home. It’s also responsible for very little in the way of carbon emissions. When the paper is used in a house connected to a renewable energy source, it becomes a zero-emissions heating mechanism. This is vital to Scotland Beyond Net Zero, a group of climate experts from Scottish universities working to support the country’s mission of becoming emissions-free by 2045.
Scotland Beyond Net Zero provided funding for the wallpaper’s test run, which is currently taking place at 12 tenement properties in Glasgow. Researchers at the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow City Council are using IoT and AI-enabled data analysis tools to track the wallpaper’s efficiency and tenant feedback. According to the University of Glasgow, tenants have offered “excellent feedback” on the system so far.
In Glasgow, the trial’s success is vital. Scotland houses (no pun intended) some of the oldest homes in the world, and many old homes are poorly insulated. “Heating buildings is a major contributor to carbon emissions in Scotland and across the UK, accounting for more than 36% of total emissions,” the press release reads. “The average Scottish home loses heat three times faster than homes in many European countries, and gas central heating—which relies on fossil fuels—is the most common heating system.”
The electric wallpaper is the latest in a series of devices aimed at lowering homes’ energy consumption and carbon emissions. In 2022, scientists developed transparent solar cells that could eventually lead to energy-generating windows. Other researchers announced this year that they’d created a clear, UV-blocking window film that helps keep rooms cool in the summer. By blending in with people’s indoor surroundings, these advances could shift homes and commercial buildings away from heavy reliance on the energy grid.
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