i2Cool Expands Cool Fabrics Portfolio

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, electricity-free passive radiative cooling pioneer i2Cool announced the expansion of its functional fabric portfolio with two new solutions named i2Umbrella Fabric-Hyber and i2Tarpaulin. According to PR Newswire M&A, these smart fabrics are engineered to reflect incoming solar radiation while continuously dissipating trapped heat to actively lower surface temperatures without consuming electrical power or utilizing refrigerants. As industrial operators and manufacturers seek structural efficiencies similar to companies deploying advanced hardware such as DoGo Power launches smart grid-forming energy storage system and AI strategy for global orders, material science innovations are moving rapidly toward commercial transactions and portfolio integrations. Instead of simply blocking sunlight, the two fabric solutions go beyond conventional shading, reflecting a significant portion of incoming solar radiation while releasing accumulated heat through mid-infrared radiation to help reduce heat gain without electricity or refrigerants.

i2Umbrella Fabric-Hyber Performance Metrics

Tailored for lightweight outdoor products like sun umbrellas, golf umbrellas, patio shades, and outdoor canopies, i2Umbrella Fabric-Hyber achieves solar reflectivity of up to 76 percent and mid-infrared emissivity of up to 96 percent. The fabric also maintains a 99 percent UV-blocking rate, full blackout capabilities, and high water repellency. In a controlled outdoor comparative test cited in the announcement, the i2Cool fabric recorded an internal ambient temperature 5.2 degrees Celsius cooler than an unshaded area and 2.4 degrees Celsius cooler than conventional silver-coated sun-protection fabrics. Conventional shading materials primarily reduce direct light exposure but often trap rising heat underneath, whereas i2Cool's reflective cooling fabrics are designed to address both sunlight and thermal build-up by integrating an electricity-free cooling nanoparticle layer alongside durable protective and blackout structures.

i2Tarpaulin Specifications and Field Deployments

For heavy-duty structural covers and industrial applications, i2Tarpaulin delivers solar reflectivity of up to 85 percent and mid-infrared emissivity of up to 95 percent. The material suits greenhouse roofs, parking canopies, temporary shelters, balcony sunshades, and membrane-structure pavilions. Field deployment in an agricultural greenhouse located in Kashgar, Xinjiang demonstrated a peak internal temperature reduction of up to 8.3 degrees Celsius, averaging 5.4 degrees Celsius lower, and yielded an estimated facility cooling energy-saving rate of 28.7 percent. The material offers an outdoor operational lifespan of over 10 years and complies with China B1 and Europe M2 fire-retardant standards. This breakthrough adapts laboratory-grade cooling into flexible, weather-resistant textiles built upon proprietary passive radiative cooling research.

Commercial Validation and Strategic Applications

A representative of the greenhouse project in Kashgar, Xinjiang stated that partnering with i2Cool significantly reduced cooling expenses across greenhouses while safeguarding crop yields during peak summer heat, noting that internal temperatures dropped immediately upon installation, providing a reliable, electricity-free solution that fundamentally transforms agricultural thermal control. These commercial deployments run parallel to other automated production milestones seen in industrial markets, such as Bestzyme launches world's first automated sweet protein production line in Jinan. By scaling this single cooling principle from portable consumer goods to commercial infrastructure, i2Cool builds on proprietary passive radiative cooling research previously published in Science.

Corporate Background and Core Technology

Founded by researchers from the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong, i2Cool specializes in electricity-free passive radiative cooling materials designed to address both direct sunlight and thermal build-up. The underlying technology integrates a cooling nanoparticle layer alongside durable protective and blackout structures, preventing solar heat absorption while continuously radiating thermal energy outward. The company's broader product portfolio spans coatings, films, textiles, and functional materials built for applications across buildings, industry, agriculture, and outdoor environments. This common cooling mechanism allows i2Cool to extend its technology across portable sun umbrellas, golf umbrellas, outdoor canopies, tents, greenhouse shading systems, and membrane structures.