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Application Of Adaptive Albedo Roofing Coatings In The Southeastern United States, Christopher Michael Gray

All ETDs from UAB

In hot climates, such as the Southeastern United States, the roof heat gain of low-rise commercial buildings has led to widespread adoption of high reflectivity, "cool" roofing materials to reduce the building's cooling load. Cooling reduction techniques are of particular interest to electric utilities in the Southeast who are obligated to provide energy infrastructure to supply these loads. Regrettably, a consequence of cool roofs is increased heating load in cool months, thereby reducing their overall value. A potential solution is a roof surface which reversibly and automatically adapts its albedo to the building's thermal profile. Thermochromic polymers, which reversibly change …