3 ms·

They are in many parts of the world. The reasons why they aren’t in other parts of the world are many, but they include the fact that bitumen as a petroleum byp

They are in many parts of the world. The reasons why they aren’t in other parts of the world are many, but they include the fact that bitumen as a petroleum byproduct has been cheap; other traditional roof materials used in Western Europe are also naturally fairly dark; in cooler climates heating has historically been a more pressing concern than cooling; people migrating from said cooler climates have not bothered to adapt their construction methods to local conditions; AC powered with cheap fossil energy has been seen as a silver bullet; people choose to avoid upfront expenses even if that means suffering in the future; cooling is rapidly becoming a concern even in said cooler climates, but adaptation lags behind because people are surprised that the climate change is actually now their problem and not some future people’s problem…

fmajid 4y ago
There is such a thing as white bitumen, and Obama's Nobel-laureate Secretary of Energy Steven Chu had suggested we adopt it.
CalRobert 4y ago
Just built a house in Ireland (moved here from California) and have been very glad we ignored basically all the advice people wanted to give us and went for things that make it easy to cool. High ceilings with roof windows to vent heat have made the last couple days much more pleasant. Really glad it's wood and we're not dealing with all that thermal mass people here seem so enamored of. I also have a 200 year old stone cottage and when it gets hot it stays hot for a very long time (same for being cold).
- simondotau 4y ago
  Thermal mass makes sense if exposure to heat can be carefully controlled, in a manner consistent with solar passive principles. Ideally this would be in the form of concrete floor/brick wall behind a glazed and shaded south-facing window (northern hemisphere) in an otherwise well insulated house. In practice, it’s generally better to just have a well insulated house in the first place. (Passivhaus being the attainable ideal.)
  - CalRobert 4y ago
    True, and thermal mass is amazing if you have a lot of giant rocks and use them to soak up sun and keep fruit trees warm at night, allowing you to grow fruits normally suited to much warmer climates. My experience was mostly old brick buildings in Dublin (old enough to not be cavity wall) and having all the heat they soaked up during the day radiated back at you at night. I plan to add retractable awnings over the windows that get a lot of sun at some point too; they can make a big difference. And, of course, trees! Deciduous trees give you shade in the summer and kindly drop their leaves so you have light in the winter. They're amazing!
- laurencerowe 4y ago
  Thermal mass can definitely be useful when you don't have air conditioning. Most of the older building in countries like Peru had thick walls (as well as tall ceilings) and were far cooler than outside during the day since the thermal mass effectively buffered the indoor temperature between night and day.
  - CalRobert 4y ago
    True, I think I'm just a little grumpy from years of boiling hot apartments in very old buildings.

fmajid 4y ago

There is such a thing as white bitumen, and Obama's Nobel-laureate Secretary of Energy Steven Chu had suggested we adopt it.

CalRobert 4y ago

Just built a house in Ireland (moved here from California) and have been very glad we ignored basically all the advice people wanted to give us and went for things that make it easy to cool. High ceilings with roof windows to vent heat have made the last couple days much more pleasant. Really glad it's wood and we're not dealing with all that thermal mass people here seem so enamored of. I also have a 200 year old stone cottage and when it gets hot it stays hot for a very long time (same for being cold).

simondotau 4y ago
Thermal mass makes sense if exposure to heat can be carefully controlled, in a manner consistent with solar passive principles. Ideally this would be in the form of concrete floor/brick wall behind a glazed and shaded south-facing window (northern hemisphere) in an otherwise well insulated house. In practice, it’s generally better to just have a well insulated house in the first place. (Passivhaus being the attainable ideal.)
- CalRobert 4y ago
  True, and thermal mass is amazing if you have a lot of giant rocks and use them to soak up sun and keep fruit trees warm at night, allowing you to grow fruits normally suited to much warmer climates. My experience was mostly old brick buildings in Dublin (old enough to not be cavity wall) and having all the heat they soaked up during the day radiated back at you at night. I plan to add retractable awnings over the windows that get a lot of sun at some point too; they can make a big difference. And, of course, trees! Deciduous trees give you shade in the summer and kindly drop their leaves so you have light in the winter. They're amazing!
laurencerowe 4y ago
Thermal mass can definitely be useful when you don't have air conditioning. Most of the older building in countries like Peru had thick walls (as well as tall ceilings) and were far cooler than outside during the day since the thermal mass effectively buffered the indoor temperature between night and day.
- CalRobert 4y ago
  True, I think I'm just a little grumpy from years of boiling hot apartments in very old buildings.