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submitted 11 months ago by L4s@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

Ultra-white ceramic cools buildings with record-high 99.6% reflectivity::undefined

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[-] RGB3x3@lemmy.world 106 points 11 months ago

You know what also cools houses down super efficiently?

Trees

[-] Matty_r@programming.dev 42 points 11 months ago

Excellent - how many trees can I grow on my roof? Can they be retrofitted?

/s

[-] 0ddysseus@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Trees? Not many. Grasses, herbs, wildflowers, and shrubs? Tons of them. And you can pretty easily retrofit over an existing sloped roof. And the weight is no more than a tiled roof.

[-] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago

Wetness could pose a problem to the structure

[-] 0ddysseus@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Not if you use a waterproof base layer. This isn't some theoretical thing, its tried and tested technology in common use

[-] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 0 points 11 months ago

Well of course you'd use waterproof base layer, typically you'd use several even without the plants. It's tried and tested with multiple cases of failing with age. That's the issue. Even just flat roofs have been a failure point even without the plants but soil and plants are a definite concern for builders when talking long term.

[-] 0ddysseus@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Are you a builder? Do you have any experience installing and maintaining green roofs? Your assertion than you'd typically use several waterproofing layers suggests not. I have experience building these systems in the real world and the documentation to support their use. BTW - flat roofs aren't a thing. Expect in traditional building in desert areas. "Flat" roofs aren't flat.

[-] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago

I'm a construction engineer, though I think that's just civil engineer in lot of the world.

BTW - flat roofs aren't a thing. Expect in traditional building in desert areas. "Flat" roofs aren't flat.

I assumed everyone knew what I meant. See some apartment building roofs.

[-] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Kind of

There are eco apartments (planning idk about practice); grass on the roof and trees growing up the side

Lakehead University Orillia was going to do this for a new building but I don’t know what happened

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this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2023
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