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Can French fries affect home improvement and reduce global warming?
Keeping the roof over your head cool in summer and warm in winter means living in two different houses. The warmth-absorbing black roof of winter has to be replaced with a solar-heat-reflecting white one come summer. This quandary is about to be solved by fast food cooking oil waste. The American Chemical Society is calling the new formula a "smart roof" that can tell what the surrounding temperature is and adjust accordingly. Dr. Ben Wen, the vice-president of United Environment & Energy in New York is the leader of the research project. He says that "the bio-based intelligent roof coating will... reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds from petroleum-based roofing products," as well as provide a way to use leftover oil from preparing French fries. The processed cooking oil is transformed into a liquid polymer that hardens into a plastic when spread on the roof. The good news is that it doesn’t smell like chicken nuggets, is not flammable or toxic, and can be manufactured in any color. This coating controls infrared light levels, changing from reflecting the solar heat to transmitting it depending on the outside temperature. Energy savings realized in reducing costs and fuels needed to heat or cool your home is the goal. Tests showed that roof temperatures were reduced by 50-80 percent in warm weather. "Even though the roof temperature is reduced or increased by a few degrees, depending on the outside temperature, this change could make a big difference in your energy bill," Wen claimed. In the last decade, many attempts to control energy consumption with various roofing materials have been made. Back in 2005, the first conclusive data that winter green roofs help reduce heat loss and energy consumption during cold months was displayed in the Design For the Cold exhibition. They used evergreen juniper bushes. Several versions of a green roof appeared. Those resembling grass makes one wonder about the power and homeowner dedication needed to "mow the lawn" not only in the front yard, but on the roof. In 2009, green roofs were being credited not only with reducing heating and air conditioning costs, but for retaining storm water. The water isn’t wasted running over paved streets into storm gutters. By measuring the carbon levels in plant and soil samples from green roofs for a two years period, scientists determined that the carbon captured by a large urban area of green roofs would be the equivalent of eliminating more than 10,000 SUV’s from the roads for a year. However, one must consider how much energy must be used to pump water during the summer onto those roofs to satiate thirsty plants. It’s always a give and take world. The familiar white washed houses of Greece serve the same purpose as white roofs, they have a cooling effect. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research used a new computer model to simulate the amount of solar radiation that is absorbed or reflected by urban surfaces. Compared to rural areas, cities create a "heat island" that raises temperatures from 2-5 degrees Fahrenheit [1-3 degrees Celsius] because of their heat absorbing asphalt roads and tar roofs. The scientists’ computer model is designed to assess the impacts of a changing climate on urban populations and explore options for countering rising temperatures. Their hypothetical conclusion was that if every city in the world had white roofs, the urban heat island effect could be reduced by 33 percent, effectively cooling our cities about 0.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The theory is "every little bit helps." Do bear in mind that rooftops are not the only "green purpose" processed cooking oil might serve. In UK, there is a growing movement of car enthusiasts that are powering their diesel engines with "chip fat" i.e. processed cooking oil from British fast food specialty, fish'n'chips [again, french fries], started by Fifth Gear, a popular TV show. You can view more in this YouTube video: So that little bit of grease dripping off your French fries could be the answer to global warming – sort of. The fast food chains will need to continue cranking out grease drenched tidbits, though, because the new smart roof coating is expected to wear off and need to be reapplied periodically. Research is on-going, however, and ETA in the marketplace is about three years. In the meantime, Wen cautions "Don’t try this at home" because regular cooking oil smeared on your roof could cause it to catch fire. http://www.brightsideofnews.com/news/2010/3/31/can-french-fries-affect-home-improvement-and-reduce-global-warming.aspx |
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