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Scientists at the University of Malaya have designed a roof that can help address an environmental conflict: increasing demands for energy to increase living comfort versus a need to scale back fossil fuel use to address climate change. The conflict has driven interest in more efficient renewable energy sources, especially in emerging economies.
The roof's most visible feature is a V-shaped structure set atop a peaked roof, which guides wind into a series of turbines situated below it to generate energy as they turn. The structure also increases airflow within the building by means of vents built into the peaked roof to enhance natural ventilation. In addition, a rainwater harvester is connected to an automated cooling and cleaning system that washes solar cells embedded in the sloped roof to keep them efficient. Transparent skylights brighten the main rooms inside the building during the daytime, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
The team says that adding the roof to an existing building creates minimal visual impact and can be used in urban and rural settings.
In Malaysia, the average person uses about 4,200 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy per year. The researchers say their roof could support about six people by generating more than 21,200 kWh of energy a year while saving another 1,840 kWh because of its skylights. Also, the venting system could move about 217 million cubic metres of air and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 17,768 kilos, while the rainwater harvester could collect close to 525 cubic metres of water.
Do they have homeowner's associations in Malaysia?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 09 2017, @07:54PM (1 child)
I've said before that when you fly into a city and look down, you see an incredible number of rooftops that are not growing food and not collecting energy to be reused.
In the Summer, they are -absorbing- heat which then has to be pumped back out (or the discomfort it causes endured).
With renewable energy systems ever more affordable, the amount of unused/wasted space/energy is disheartening.
I heard a statistic the other day that Arby's fast-food chain or the car wash industry or the theme park industry or J.C. Penney's or Whole Foods employs more people than all of USA's coal industry.
The focus that The Orange Clown has put on that declining sector is out of proportion and headed in the wrong direction.
I've also mentioned that Green Party candidate Jill Stein has a Green New Deal that would shift resources to putting people back to work, employing them by expanding installation of renewables and conservation methods (e.g. insulating buildings better).
The renewables sector has already surpassed the dirty energy sector in USA in terms of people employed.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday April 10 2017, @07:18AM
I heard a statistic the other day that Arby's fast-food chain or the car wash industry or the theme park industry or J.C. Penney's or Whole Foods employs more people than all of USA's coal industry. The focus that The Orange Clown has put on that declining sector is out of proportion and headed in the wrong direction.
Those coal miners produce almost 900 million metric tons of coal. That apparently is enough to meet the needs of about 30% of the US's electricity needs as well as the considerable needs of the smelting industry. If all you're interested in is having a bunch of people get paid, then go with basic income. But if you want people to do something useful as well, then don't knock the industries that do the more useful and productive things.