- A Government-led northern suburbs housing development will feature exclusively light-coloured roofs.
- The move is set to increase sustainability and decrease household electricity bills.
- Homes with light-coloured roofs tended to be much cooler than dark-coloured roofs.
Light-coloured roofs have been shown to deliver cooler more comfortable living, and one northern Adelaide development has responded by eliminating dark-coloured roofs from all future stages.
How much cooler can it get?
A Seed Consulting 2018 heat mapping report found that northern suburbs houses with light-coloured roofs were 4.3 degrees Celsius cooler than average during the day, while dark-coloured roofs were hotter than average by 4.6 degrees Celcius.
A report on the western suburbs in 2017 found dark roofs had a 2.8 degrees Celcius higher surface temperature compared to light roofs, which were 2.3 degrees Celsius cooler.
Cool for one, cool for all
Delivering houses with light-coloured roofs is expected to help mitigate the urban heat island effect, with light-coloured roofs reflecting more sunlight and absorbing less heat than dark-coloured roofs.
The South Australian government recently announced that dark-coloured roofs will be eliminated in all future stages of the Playford Alive development in Munno Para.
“Encouraging the use of light-coloured roofs in home designs helps to reduce temperature fluctuations in the home – lowering electricity bills and minimising the environmental footprint associated with traditional building practices,” said Minister Nick Champion.
“This is an opportunity for Government to lead the way and encourage developers and builders to get on board with these more sustainable, energy-friendly measures.
“It is imperative that we mitigate any potential urban heat island effect by implementing these changes now, as our infill is built up to meet housing demands.”
Master Builders Association director of communications and policy, Kym Morgan noted that the move makes sense, particularly out north where it tends to be hotter.
“It leads to significantly cooler homes and that ultimately means less time running air conditioners and lower energy bills. It also means cooler suburbs if consumers adopt lighter roofs en masse.
“Well done to the SA Government for taking the lead. As the peak industry group for the building and construction industry, Master Builders SA will encourage private builders in this stage of Playford Alive to also get on-board and steer their consumers towards light-coloured roofing.”
