Sustainability is an approach that aims to minimize a building’s negative environmental impact while also maximizing its positive effects on people and communities.
It involves the following components
- reducing energy consumption
- Improving indoor environment
- Creating community spaces
- Considering the site
- Improving quality of life
Green building is an important buzz word in the field of sustainable architecture. Green building definition refers to the practice of designing, constructing and operating buildings that minimize environmental impacts throughout their life cycle. This involves everything, from the selection of building materials and site orientation to energy savings and resource efficiency.
Green building aims to create healthier, more comfortable,more sustainable environments for occupants while reducing the building’s ecological footprint.
Cool roofs have emerged as a powerful solution in the overarching definition of green buildings to combat heat island effect and promote energy efficiency. Although, it’s not a new concept and has been in vogue since the Tennessee project of solar radiation control coatings of the 1980s. In the recent past, cool roofs have generated an unabating eagerness as it’s a proven method of lowering both peak energy demands and energy costs as well as increasing thermal comfort. Today, cool roofing technologies are seen in various areas throughout the world: from rural areas to urban cities and everywhere in between, a cool roof can be implemented to suit the needs of almost any building.
Sustainability using LuminX cool roofs
- Lowering costs and energy savings:Costs are one of the major benefits of cool roofs. Cool roofing is known to be very affordable overall, with energy savings ranging from 7-15% of total costs. With LuminX, the cost of application is low. Payback periods can be as low as 6 years.
- Thermal comfort :During oppressive summer months, internal building temperatures are much lower than those in buildings that use traditional roofs. LuminX has evidently reduced temperatures as much as 20 degrees during peak summers in variety of installations.
- Reduced maintenance costs and longevity : Sustainability encapsulates long term viability and reduce cost of construction, both of which are to be met through cool roof installation. LuminX requires little to no maintenance. Its unique nano polymer technology is highly hydrophobic thereby providing water proofing, extending roof life.
- Reduced Air pollutant emissions:With the application of cool roof paints, air conditioning units will be used less frequently. The subsequent decrease in energy demand will reduce burning of fossil fuels,harmful emissions ( including NOx) and green house gases. Reduced emissions and improved air quality goes hand-in-hand.
- Utility rebates:There are multiple incentives for sustainable efforts and may pertain solely to cool roofing strategies. In India, it’s provided by Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) council.
- Inclusivity : One of important cornerstones of sustainable development. LuminX aims to provide cooling for all, especially the lower income groups who are among the most affected. Thus, the company has partnered with various civil societies and non governmental organisations to reach the last mile in delivering cooling solutions.
From the above, it’s clear that cool roofs are the future of sustainable architecture.
