Advancements in Solar Technologies

 -- Quote of the Day --

"The three hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say - 'I was wrong'."

~ Sydney Harris

 -- Advancements in Solar Technologies --

Some fantastic news about paint came from a recent program on the CBC radio station which discussed a new solar cell that can be painted on roadways, rooftops, building siding and more – this is a new technology that is, like most alternative energy sources, needing some way of storing the captured energy. But the idea of using the surface area of the road infrastructure on this planet (said to equal the surface area of the US) to produce at least 20% of the world’s energy needs is a pretty cool prospect.

Speaking of pretty cool – I was watching an environmental DVD and learned that part of the issue with Urban Greenhouse Effect is that we have so many dark roofs, dark sidings and dark roadways – all of which absorb the solar heat and contribute to warmer cities. We can easily reduce the heat in a large city by 5 degrees simply by painting these dark surfaces a lighter color – perhaps a cream color, since white is so reflective and would contribute to Urban Glare issues.

There are lots of rooftop paints now available that not only extend the life of your roof, but offer some insulation factors as well. Different types of paint are available for different surfaces, however in researching paints for our own roof I’ve learned that if you have a metal roof, you can paint it with an elasticized paint (choosing a light, creamy color if possible) that will extend the life of the metal roof by a minimum of 7 years.  This would cover flaws, rust and repairs that have been done, while giving the house a “new” look  - which would benefit anyone looking to put their house on the market anytime in the near future.

More news about advancements in the world of paint came to us from the Japan For Sustainability org: Kansai Paint Co., a Japanese manufacturer of paints and coatings, announced that it has developed a new type of paint with high solar reflectance called "Alescool." Simply applying this paint, the company says, can help cut electric power cost of air conditioning by 40 percent during summer in Japan. The paint will go on sale across Japan through Kansai Paint's affiliated sales company.

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