The_King Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 SINGAPORE: Authorities are considering a novel approach to tackling the sweltering urban heat in Singapore: coating buildings with reflective paint to cool urban areas. The Straits Times reports that this initiative, spearheaded by industrial developer JTC, aims to cool urban areas by up to 2 degrees Celsius. Scheduled to kick off in the third quarter of 2024, the pilot project will cover Bukit Batok and Sin Ming buildings. The concept is simple yet potentially game-changing: applying a reflective coating to building facades can reduce heat absorption, mitigating the urban heat island effect. This phenomenon refers to cities’ tendency to retain more heat than rural areas, largely due to the vast expanse of concrete, asphalt, and buildings. This project was inspired by an earlier experiment conducted by researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) between 2018 and 2019. In this trial, two industrial buildings and the connecting road were coated with special paint, while adjacent structures served as controls. Photo: NTU The results, published in March 2024 in the journal Sustainable Cities and Society, were promising: the painted environment exhibited temperatures up to 2 degrees Celsius cooler during the hottest part of the day. See also "Property prices need correction, not moderation" — S'poreans react to Desmond Lee's comments on signs of moderation in public & private housing markets In a separate initiative in 2020, NTU conducted tests on the application of cool paint at two Housing Board blocks in Bukit Purmei. Subsequently, the Housing Development Board (HDB) extended this experimentation to include 130 blocks in Tampines, with the study anticipated to conclude by 2024. The secret ingredient in the reflective paint is titanium dioxide, a pigment known for its ability to reflect sunlight. This compound, commonly found in sunscreen, forms the backbone of the cooling mechanism. Associate Professor Wan Man Pun, who leads the NTU team, explains that the paint bounces off sunlight, preventing buildings from absorbing excessive heat. Barium Sulphate Pigment instead of Titanium Dioxide for more heat reflection But the innovation doesn’t stop there. Researchers are now formulating a better-performing paint infused with barium sulphate pigment, which can provide greater heat reflection. This advanced formula, coupled with a polymer binder, ensures that the reflected heat dissipates efficiently, contributing to a more significant cooling effect. The beauty of this approach lies in its simplicity. Unlike traditional methods, such as incorporating green spaces or water features, which require extensive urban planning, cool paint can be applied directly to existing infrastructure. As Associate Professor Wan Man Pun, The NTU team lead from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, aptly puts it, “The convenience of cool paint is that you don’t need any redevelopment. You just paint on existing infrastructure.” Other benefits of reflective paint beyond heat reflection Moreover, the benefits extend beyond mere temperature reduction. Cool paint can also slash energy consumption by minimising heat absorption, particularly in air-conditioned buildings. This is crucial, considering that the release of waste heat from air conditioners exacerbates the urban heat island effect. However, the widespread adoption of cool paint may face hurdles, primarily due to cost considerations. While the price difference from conventional paint is evident, proponents argue that the long-term benefits outweigh the initial investment. Mr Joseph Goh, vice president of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore, suggests a balanced approach, noting that it may be more costly to apply cool paint on pavements than to building facades. He said, “To encourage wider adoption, it may not be wise to use cool paint on all surfaces due to the high costs. If there are regulations to deal with urban heat through the use of greenery, shades or cool paint, there may be greater adoption (of these methods) and lower costs due to economies of scale.” While cool paint presents a promising solution to urban heat, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Cooling down an entire city requires a multifaceted approach, incorporating various technologies and measures. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huat Zai Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 Quote Photokeratitis or ultraviolet keratitis is a painful eye condition caused by exposure of insufficiently protected eyes to the ultraviolet (UV) rays from either natural (e.g. intense direct or reflected sunlight) or artificial (e.g. the electric arc during welding) sources. Photokeratitis is akin to a sunburn of the cornea and conjunctiva. The injury may be prevented by wearing eye protection that blocks most of the ultraviolet radiation, such as welding goggles with the proper filters, a welder's helmet, sunglasses rated for sufficient UV protection, or appropriate snow goggles. The condition is usually managed by removal from the source of ultraviolet radiation, covering the corneas, and administration of pain relief. Photokeratitis is known by a number of different terms including: snow blindness, arc eye, welder's flash, bake eyes, corneal flash burns, flash burns, niphablepsia, or keratoconjunctivitis photoelectrica. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photokeratitis Time to get those UV lens people 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_King Posted April 2 Author Share Posted April 2 Cut down all the tons of tree to prep for 10m and think the stupid paint going to help 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_King Posted April 2 Author Share Posted April 2 The heat will reflect and heat up outside area even more 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huat Zai Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 5 minutes ago, The_King said: The heat will reflect and heat up outside area even more 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XianGe Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 So the ppl outside will feel the heat... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XianGe Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 12 minutes ago, The_King said: The heat will reflect and heat up outside area even more Then next building will get more heat... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sTiCkY Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 can suntan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_King Posted April 2 Author Share Posted April 2 1 hour ago, Huat Zai said: hahaha, here not holloywood la 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_King Posted April 2 Author Share Posted April 2 1 hour ago, XianGe said: Then next building will get more heat... all we can hope the ray dont reflect to our unit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeenut Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 1 hour ago, XianGe said: Then next building will get more heat... That next building is their "control" mah .. best way to skew the results Quote In this trial, two industrial buildings and the connecting road were coated with special paint, while adjacent structures served as controls. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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