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There is something to be said for the parts about shading the surface too though. You're unlikely to cool an entire desert a significant amount with water you b
by zamadatix 1y ago
There is something to be said for the parts about shading the surface too though. You're unlikely to cool an entire desert a significant amount with water you bring in but if that's something that happens as part of keeping the actual surfaces in the city cooler during peak heat times on top of the air cooling effects of evaporation then the sum result is greater than the parts in terms of effect.
Of course it's Vegas, I wouldn't be surprised if we decided to make the downtown completely indoors so we could just run AC in the streets too. It's not exactly the city of practicality.
- trhway 1y agoThey do outdoor AC in [some places in some] parks in Qatar.
- firesteelrain 1y agoSounds like Qatar. Innovative and expensive.
- saagarjha 1y agoQatar is basically Vegas if it had more money.
- chrisweekly 1y agoUnder the sand on the beach, too!
- sandworm101 1y ago>> the downtown completely indoors so we could just run AC in the streets too. So ... a shopping mall? Many cities do this already, linking various public indoor spaces by walkways/tunnels. Also those cities where the air outside is too cold. A few canadian universities link buildings with tunnels so students can avoid going outside.
- lmz 1y agoAlso: Toronto's PATH - https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/visitor-toronto/path-torontos-downtown-pedestrian-walkway/ https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/visitor-toronto/path-to...
- zamadatix 1y agoCooling the streets is nothing like a mall or growing tbe walkway connections, those are much too sensible.
- sneak 1y agoIf you cover the roof in solar, it will generate more than sufficient power to air condition it.
- gsf_emergency_2 1y ago>on top of the air cooling effects of evaporation I think you meant to say *on top of shade* because blocking the sun is the main effect here (the geometry makes more sense too!) Less confusing phrase from abstract which implies that the 0.5deg evaporative cooling is almost a rounding error: during the day, trees provide significant shade by intercepting solar radiation, reducing mean radiant temperature (up to 16 °C)
- bmacho 1y agoduring the day, trees provide significant shade by intercepting solar radiation, reducing mean radiant temperature (up to 16 °C) Sadly they work the opposite way at night, they don't allow SPACE to cool the ground. A textil/plastic plate moved automatically can provide more cold, if that's the goal.
- gsf_emergency_2 1y agoTo me what seems too good to be possible is the triple combo of shade, radiative cooling, and water harvesting Only ambient sunlight needed here, but they'd have to make the panels horizontal (indeed, curtained at night like you say) somehow: https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/mits-high-tech-hydrogel-window-pulls-clean-drinking-water-from-dry-desert-air/ https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/mits-high-tech-hydroge... Edit I guess the low-maintenance option might be some kind of giant variegated Madagascan succulent
- bobthepanda 1y agoIt really depends on how broad and high the tree canopy is; you don’t need super high tree density to provide a lot of shade. The main benefit over other solutions is that properly selected trees require very little upkeep from humans, unlike anything mechanical or requiring movement. Though I imagine that is less the case in Vegas.