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Alternative to Air-conditions?
(lemmus.org)
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this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2026
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Green roofs can also help significantly.
Green as in the color? Or green as in environmentally conscious?
I am having to replace my black shingle roof very soon and planned to do a white one.
Green roofs as in actually having plant life growing on top of them
Even better! But sadly not something my current home could support.
I've seen green roofs on bus stops and favelas in Rio, Brazil, where their roofs have terrible infrastructure. From what I understood, they basically partnered with a local university to try to reduce the heat island effect in favelas, as most of them had no greenery at all
They came up with a cheap solution involving a plastic liner, similar (perhaps the same) to those used in ponds; a geotextile layer of bidim, which is a lightweight material; and plants that don't need soil to grow, like those found growing on rocks or trunk of trees. Which means it is super light and still provide the same benefits as a green roof with soil in it
I have a pitched roof on a mobile home.
Sounds cool. Did you DIY? Do you have to move often?
I don't think pitch is a problem as those plants cling to trees at 90° and the layers are glued, but I understand it is not a solution that can be installed anywhere :)
A mobile home, or trailer, in the states is a manufactured home that is built in a factory setting and then moved to its location. They are usually cheap because they are built to be lighter than a traditional home.
As far as moving it, I need two semis to move. I have owned it for 11 years and we have not yet moved. But I am hopeful in the coming year I can get it moved to my own property.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_home
You might want to look at metal roofing. White helps and makes sense from a visual standpoint where the base material can only be dyed/painted and not changed, but even painted metal reflects infrared better, which is where the heating energy really exists.
A white tin roof is the plan.
@XeroxCool @nocturne There are special nano-materials they have that blocks all IR heat from entering the building. We shall see how this scales.