In order to conserve energy used for cooling buildings, the Delhi Government plans to promote the concept of “cool roofs.”
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit made this announcement during a presentation on ``Cool roofs for cool Delhi’’ at Delhi Secretariat on Wednesday.
The Government would encourage the creation of cool roofs which are prepared with materials that have both high reflection and emission levels. The concept would be tried in Delhi Secretariat and various hospitals and schools first.
Residents’ welfare associations would also be roped in to enhance the acceptability of cool roofs.
During the presentation, it was stated that research has shown that cool roofs also help increase the life expectancy of roofing systems because extreme cycles of heating and cooling tend to wear out materials as they expand and contract with the temperatures. Cool roofs, on the other hand, keep the roof at a more constant temperature and the structures therefore tend to last longer.
Cool roofing can be implemented in three ways. These involve use of paint, glazed tiles and lime coating. While lime coating is the cheapest, it requires repetition after every six months whereas laying of glazed tiles though costlier is more long lasting. As for application of paint, it was stated that it will cost in between the two and will have life of around two years.
At the meeting, which was also attended by several senior Delhi Government, New Delhi Municipal Council and Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials and engineers, it was also suggested that a pilot project be launched in a particular colony to assess the benefits of cool roofing on a larger scale.
