White Roofs

Secretary Steven Chu discusses the benefits of switching to white roofs and light colored pavements.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• White Roofs
• DOE
• Secretary Chu
• Daily Show
• Steven Chu
• Department of Energy
• Greenhouse Effect

[kaevne]

I agree, Steven Chu I admired you as an Asian-American in the Cabinet, but this kind of blatant discrimination against colored-roofs is appalling.

[Ares550]

White roofs are great, they really should be implemented wherever possible.

White surfaces would control the "heat island" effect in large cities, which cause

higher energy usage, pollution, and poorer water quality (eutrophication).

HOWEVER

There is a disadvantage to white roofs. They are commonly made with PVC, which can become brittle and fail over time. in areas of large temperature variations or where there is snow, it may not be worth the while to use these surfaces.

[shandcunt]

@Ares550 "They are commonly made with PVC" - Why does a different colour mean different building materials. Im no genuis but what about.....paint?

Why couldnt you jst paint your roof tiles / shingles / whatever

[jberlat]

All the street on Freeways are already white.

[zassounotsukushi]

This is geoengineering, is it not?

I am highly inquisitive of the numbers thrown around for the white roofs program. When you say it is the equivalent of taking so-many cars off the road or power plants shutting down, what % of that is due to reduced CO2 emissions and what % is due to the changing of Earth's albedo

One way or another, gaining broad support for this right now is obviously the first step in humanity solving the G.W. problem with engineered solutions as opposed to CO2 reductions

[NICKKASSAM1]

....may sound very creazy...but there are ...say 1 billion vehicules running on the Planet and if ALL the tires were white ???? imagine the impact ....!!

[NICKKASSAM1]

Very simple...... paint white and save energy costs and help save the planet at the same time ....I did it in Florida saved average of 28% less cost of electric bill...just went on the roof and painted in white whater base color....the result was instant cool feeling inside

[sprayfoamroofs]

Very true words. White roofs or any reflective rooftop would be very beneficial environmentally. Our company applies spray foam roofs with UV protection. It leads to the same results.

[robotgrass]

@demus

emmisivity

[robotgrass]

I live in a cold region, I was misinformed to believe that black roofs absorbed and held more heat than white roofs? Eemissivity; the ability for a material to radiate or give off absorbed heat, although black roofs do absorb heat much faster, they loose that heat at a rate of 95%, white roofs on the other hand take longer to heat up but hold that heat much better, thus heating the dwelling below ....so then how do white roofs keep cooler in the summer....hmmm? back to the drawing board...

[demus]

immisifity?

can someone write that right for me to look up the word?

[Minuvash]

Dear Mr. Chu, thank you. Please check the Aircar on the youtube too. their website is 3 times w dot mdi dot lu

also the Solar Tower from Germany

how solar tower works?