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posted by cmn32480 on Friday June 05 2015, @10:23AM   Printer-friendly
from the the-roof-is-on-fire dept.

In a world that's warming up quickly, researchers are looking for ways to cool down. Australian researchers have an additional motivation: their country is heating up faster than other places, adding an additional level of urgency to their work.

Now researchers at the University of Technology in Sydney have developed a neat new material that can keep roofs cooler than the air above them, even in direct sunlight. By preventing roofs from warming up, homeowners can expend less energy on air conditioning, and reduce the heat island effect in their city.

The material is made from layers of specialized plastics stacked on top of a layer of silver. The material reflects heat so well that it doesn't warm up, even on bright sunny days, only absorbing three percent of the sunlight that hits it. Compared to currently available roofing materials that are designed to reduce temperature (usually white roofs that reflect sunlight), the test material stayed more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit cooler. A test roof was placed on an existing rooftop in downtown Sydney and monitored for days. Even when the roof got dirty (something that happens in cities), the material still worked.

http://www.popsci.com/new-material-could-make-your-roof-cool-even-hot-summer-day

[Source]: http://newsroom.uts.edu.au/news/2015/05/super-cool-roof-solution-being-hot-city

[Paper]: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.201500119/full


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  • (Score: 2) by Tork on Friday June 05 2015, @06:35PM

    by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 05 2015, @06:35PM (#192618)
    Does a solar panel generate enough electricity to power a house's AC?
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  • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Wednesday June 10 2015, @05:29PM

    by Freeman (732) on Wednesday June 10 2015, @05:29PM (#194594) Journal

    Depends on the size of the solar panel. Though, typically you don't just install 1 solar panel. You install a series of solar panels that could power your AC.

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    • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday June 10 2015, @05:33PM

      by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday June 10 2015, @05:33PM (#194598)
      I should have phrased that a little better. I was just wondering if it's reasonably practical given various factors like average roof size, expense and installation of panels, etc.
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      • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Wednesday June 10 2015, @09:39PM

        by Freeman (732) on Wednesday June 10 2015, @09:39PM (#194688) Journal

        My Father In-Law is working on getting solar panels setup. The solar panels should pay for themselves in a few years (I really don't remember how long he said it would take for the Solar Panels to break even.) and it's just gravy after that. I think he took advantage of some government funding. As to whether it's worth it or not. That would depend on various factors not the least of which is whether you live in an area that is mostly sunny throughout the year or not. I haven't looked into it seriously myself as I can't afford yet another bill whether it would cost me less in the long run or not.

        According to http://www.solarcity.com/ [solarcity.com] "*Customers typically see a positive return on investment within 7-10 years." The Solar Panels should also supposedly last for 30 years. "We warranty your roof and take care of system repairs for up to 30 years."

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        • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday June 10 2015, @09:45PM

          by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday June 10 2015, @09:45PM (#194693)
          Thank you!
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