Effects of Aging over the Solar Reflectance Index of Urban Materials.The case of Roof Tiles

NOELIA ALCHAPAR; ERICA CORREA; M.ALICIA CANTÓN

Cancún

Congreso; ISES Solar World Congress 2013; 2013

Due to the impact of the optical properties of the materials composing the urban envelopes on the energy balance of cities, their categorization according to their ability to decrease urban temperatures is an indispensable tool for contribute to sustainable urban development. This work evaluates the thermal behavior of roof tiles availables in the region where is located the city studied, so as to classify them according to their Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) and quantify the index variation over time. The study was carried out during a 3 year period, and they were evaluated 16 kinds of roof tiles in two compositions -clay and fiber-cement-, widely utilized in the local market, Mendoza- Argentina. The obtained results had been analyzed according the influence of different features of roof tiles: shape, finished, and color. Additionally, the aging effect of the material was quantified according the variation over the SRI. The results show that all tested roof tiles tend to diminish their ability to reduce urban temperatures between 17 and 35%. The 50% of clay composition and 33% of fiber-cemnet composition show an SRI value of 30% , as a result of wear.