A new, ultra-reflective roof material is the first to stay cooler than the surrounding air
As summers keep getting hotter because of climate change, it sets up a vicious cycle: By the end of the century, the world may be using more than 30 times more energy for air conditioning, pushing temperatures up even more. But a new variation on cool roofs could help.
A typical dark roof soaks in sunlight, heating up the building underneath and releasing more heat back into the surrounding neighborhood at night. While cool roofs—made from white, reflective material—aren’t new, they still absorb some heat. A new material is the first to actually stay cooler than ambient air.
“What we set out to do was maximize the solar reflectance to see how far it could be pushed…to see the extent of further improvements that are possible with open roofing technologies,” says Angus Gentle, a researcher at the University of Technology Sydney, who developed the material along with physics professor Geoff Smith.
By adding layers of plastic on top of silver, the researchers were able to create a roof surface that bounces sunlight back into space, leaving it as much nine degrees cooler than a state-of-the-art cool roof. “The coating keeps the roof cool by reflecting almost all of the incoming solar radiation,” Gentle says. “A vast majority of this emitted radiation goes directly into space without being absorbed by the atmosphere.”
Compare that to a standard roof—which absorbs as much as 90% of light—or the best cool roofs, which can only reflect 70% to 85% of sun. “This still equates to a summer heat load of 150-300 watts per square meter of heat being absorbed,” says Gentle. In cities, roofs are a major driver of the so-called urban heat island effect, keeping urban neighborhoods several degrees warmer than less developed areas nearby.
Read more:Â With This Self-Cooling Roof, You Might Not Need AC
The Latest on: Cool roofs
via Google News
The Latest on: Cool roofs
- Nashville Roof Cleaning & Pressure Washing Offers Pressure Washing Services in Belle Meade TNon May 17, 2022 at 11:08 am
Nashville Roof Cleaning & Pressure Washing, a company based in Nashville, TN, is pleased to announce that they are offering services for pressure ...
- Fort Lauderdale sports bar Township abruptly closes, paving way for live-music BBQ joint Tin Roof this fallon May 17, 2022 at 4:41 am
Township Fort Lauderdale— the half-German beer hall, half-neighborhood pub where tribes of sports fans came for camaraderie, craft beer and Super Bowl parties— abruptly closed on May ...
- Cool roofs and how to get them: Adelaide City Council trials a space-age ceramic coating as temperatures skyrocketon May 16, 2022 at 11:47 pm
Adelaide City Council is partnering with the University of Adelaide to trial the use of a ceramic cool roof coating called Super Therm, originally developed by NASA, that is more effective at blocking ...
- To cool inflation, the Federal Reserve is attempting a 'soft landing.' What is it, and will it work?on May 15, 2022 at 6:45 am
After two years of yo-yo economic conditions, the Federal Reserve is trying to cool off inflation without tipping the nation ... housing prices have gone through the roof in some markets, and jobs are ...
- Cool Roof Coatings Market Is Growing At A CAGR Of 6.8% From 2022-2032on May 11, 2022 at 10:12 pm
The Fact.MR new report on the market survey of Cool Roof Coating gives estimations of the Size of Cool Roof Coating Market and the overall Cool Roof ...
- What Is a Green Roof?on May 11, 2022 at 7:15 am
Green roofs can be pricey, especially if you're retrofitting your house to accommodate one. But if you have the means, they pay off economically, environmentally and aesthetically. "I think the number ...
- Indian rickshaw driver stays cool with rooftop gardenon May 10, 2022 at 1:55 am
STORY: How do you stay cool in India's sweltering heatwave?Location: New DelhiThis autorickshaw driver has a novel approachHe has grown a garden to keep his customers coolIt features at least 25 ...
- WATCH: Man Grows Garden On His Rickshaw Roof To Keep Passengers Cool During Summeron May 9, 2022 at 2:24 am
Have you ever seen a rickshaw with a garden on its roof? This man has planted one to keep passengers cool during the summer heat.
- This rickshaw driver is keeping customers cool with a roof of lettuce and tomatoeson May 6, 2022 at 10:00 pm
Yellow and green auto rickshaws are ubiquitous on the roads of New Delhi, but Mahendra Kumar's vehicle is anything but ordinary. In an effort to defy the searing summer heat, he has installed a garden ...
- Cool Roof Coatings Market Analysis 2022-2026 Competitive Landscape, CAGR Value, Upcoming Trends, Size Estimates, Share, Major Key Playerson April 28, 2022 at 12:42 pm
Apr 28, 2022 (The Expresswire) -- “Cool Roof Coatings Market” report provides manufacturing cost structure analysis, sales and marketing model analysis, product profiles, application and ...
via Bing News
