大多数澳大利亚房屋的屋顶颜色为中色调到深色调，尽管颜色较浅的屋顶通常能更好地反射热量。
Most Australian house roofs are medium to dark in colour, even though lighter shades generally reflect more heat.
照片来源：Justin Paget/Getty Images即使在安装太阳能板之前，屋顶本身也能帮助人们保持凉爽并降低能源费用。由于太平洋地区正在经历一次强烈的厄尔尼诺现象，澳大利亚今年夏天可能会面临创纪录的高温。对于居住在炎热环境中的居民来说，使用具有反射功能的屋顶涂层是一种经济高效的方式来抵御高温。
Photograph: Justin Paget/Getty Images Even before adding solar panels, your roof can help you keep cool and lower your energy bills With an historic El Niño under way in the Pacific, Australia could face record temperatures this summer. For those in hot homes, reflective roof coatings can be a cost-effective way to beat the heat.
尼科·雅各布森（Nic Jacobsen）位于阿德莱德市郊区的两层住宅中，楼上的卧室和办公室曾经变得极其闷热，即使他的大型空调系统也处于满负荷运行状态。
The upstairs bedrooms and office in Nic Jacobsen’s two storey home in inner-suburban Adelaide used to get unbearably hot, even when his large air-conditioning system was running flat out.
“房屋的隔热性能很差，所以我对此进行了改进，”雅各布森说。他是一名从事可再生能源领域工作了二十年的工程师。不过，即使进行了这些改造后，他仍然能感觉到强烈的热量通过金属屋顶以及蓝色板材和灰泥墙传递进来。
“The insulation was not great, so I did some work upgrading that,” says Jacobsen, an engineer who has worked in renewable energy for two decades. But after his changes, Jacobsen could still feel intense heat radiating through the flat metal roof and blue board and plaster stud walls.
“尤其是西侧的墙壁，因为那里位于二楼，没有树木或其他建筑物的遮挡，所以阳光直射在那里，”雅各布森解释道。
“The western wall in particular copped a lot of sun; because it was the second storey there was no shading from trees or adjacent buildings,” he says.
在给屋顶和墙壁涂上具有反射热量的涂层后，效果立竿见影。“这确实减少了热量进入楼上的房间，”他说。虽然他无法具体计算节省的能源费用，但他估计自己的空调费用大幅降低了。“我对这个决定非常满意，”他说，“我认为这是一种非常有效的隔热材料，我会寻找机会向他人推荐它。”
“The western wall in particular copped a lot of sun; because it was the second storey there was no shading from trees or adjacent buildings,” he says. After Jacobsen painted the roof and wall with a heat-reflective coating, the change was immediate.
根据澳大利亚联邦科学与工业研究组织（CSIRO）的统计数据，大多数澳大利亚房屋的屋顶材质为金属或瓷砖；不过许多公寓的屋顶是混凝土结构的。尽管颜色较浅的屋顶通常能更好地反射热量，但根据该机构的数据，绝大多数房屋的屋顶颜色仍为中色调到深色调。
“It definitely lowered the heat penetrating the house upstairs,” he says. Although he can’t quantify the savings, he reckons he cut his air conditioning bill significantly. “I’m very happy with the decision I made,” he says. “I think it’s a good product and look for opportunities to recommend it.” Most Australian house roofs are either metal or tiled, though many apartments have concrete roofs. The majority are medium to dark in colour, according to CSIRO’s Australian Housing Data, even though lighter shades generally reflect more heat.
关键要点：
“It definitely lowered the heat penetrating the house upstairs,” he says. Although he can’t quantify the savings, he reckons he cut his air conditioning bill significantly. “I’m very happy with the decision I made,” he says. “I think it’s a good product and look for opportunities to recommend it.” Most Australian house roofs are either metal or tiled, though many apartments have concrete roofs. The majority are medium to dark in colour, according to CSIRO’s Australian Housing Data, even though lighter shades generally reflect more heat.
- 澳大利亚在认识屋顶表面颜色与房屋保温效果之间的关系方面存在严重认知误区（尤其是对于深色屋顶对房屋升温的影响）。
“It definitely lowered the heat penetrating the house upstairs,” he says. Although he can’t quantify the savings, he reckons he cut his air conditioning bill significantly. “I’m very happy with the decision I made,” he says. “I think it’s a good product and look for opportunities to recommend it.” Most Australian house roofs are either metal or tiled, though many apartments have concrete roofs. The majority are medium to dark in colour, according to CSIRO’s Australian Housing Data, even though lighter shades generally reflect more heat.
- Shane Strudwick推广了一种名为 Super Therm 的涂层材料——这种材料最初由 Jacobsen 公司开发，主要用于商业和工业建筑。
Light colours and reflective surfaces Shane Strudwick says Australia has a massive blind spot when it comes to the role roof surfaces and dark colours play in heating homes. Strudwick distributes Super Therm, the coating Jacobsen applied to his home, which is more commonly used on commercial and industrial properties.
- Super Therm 是一种由 NASA 为航天飞机研发的防水陶瓷涂料，具有反射红外辐射的功能，能有效防止屋顶过热并将热量传递到室内。
Light colours and reflective surfaces Shane Strudwick says Australia has a massive blind spot when it comes to the role roof surfaces and dark colours play in heating homes. Strudwick distributes Super Therm, the coating Jacobsen applied to his home, which is more commonly used on commercial and industrial properties.
- 在阿德莱德气温为 22°C 的环境下进行的试验显示：未经处理的混凝土屋顶瓦片表面温度高达 60°C，而涂有 Super Therm 的屋顶瓦片表面温度仅为 26°C。
A water-based ceramic paint developed by Nasa for the space shuttle, Super Therm repels infrared radiation, preventing roofs from heating up and transferring heat inside the house.
- 根据 Strudwick 的计算，涂覆这种涂层的成本通常会在三到五年内通过节省能源费用得到回报；不过实际回收期会因屋顶材质和家庭能耗情况而有所不同。
In a basic trial on a 22C day in Adelaide, Strudwick coated some concrete roof tiles and left others untreated. By 1pm, he says, the surface temperature of the original tiles had hit 60C, while those with a single coat of Super Therm were just 26C.
- 新南威尔士大学的研究人员指出：除了节省能源外，这种涂层还能延长屋顶的使用寿命，从而减少垃圾产生。
He says the cost of coating a roof will generally pay for itself in lower energy bills in three to five years, though he cautions that payback times vary depending on the original surface and previous household energy use.
- 专注于“凉爽屋顶”研究的专家 Sebastian Pfautsch 教授指出：那些购买了深色屋顶房屋的人在夏季会面临诸多麻烦（尤其是当屋顶使用水泥瓦片而非金属瓦片时）。
A cost-benefit analysis by researchers at the University of New South Wales concluded that the cost of coating an otherwise functional roof is recovered not just through energy savings, but also by prolonging the life of the roof itself (which also reduces waste going to landfill).
- Pfautsch 强调：对屋顶进行反射涂层处理应是优先选择的解决方案，相比安装太阳能板或改进保温材料，这种方法更为经济高效。
A cost-benefit analysis by researchers at the University of New South Wales concluded that the cost of coating an otherwise functional roof is recovered not just through energy savings, but also by prolonging the life of the roof itself (which also reduces waste going to landfill).
翻译： Shane Strudwick 表示，澳大利亚在理解屋顶颜色对房屋保温效果的影响方面存在重大认知误区。他推广了一种名为 Super Therm 的涂层材料——这种材料最初由 Jacobsen 公司开发，主要用于商业和工业建筑。Super Therm 是一种由 NASA 为航天飞机研发的防水陶瓷涂料，具有反射红外辐射的功能，能有效防止屋顶过热并将热量传递到室内。在阿德莱德气温为 22°C 的环境下进行的试验显示：未经处理的混凝土屋顶瓦片表面温度高达 60°C，而涂有 Super Therm 的屋顶瓦片表面温度仅为 26°C。根据 Strudwick 的计算，涂覆这种涂层的成本通常会在三到五年内通过节省能源费用得到回报；不过实际回收期会因屋顶材质和家庭能耗情况而有所不同。新南威尔士大学的研究人员指出：除了节省能源外，这种涂层还能延长屋顶的使用寿命，从而减少垃圾产生。专注于“凉爽屋顶”研究的专家 Sebastian Pfautsch 教授指出：那些购买了深色屋顶房屋的人在夏季会面临诸多麻烦（尤其是当屋顶使用水泥瓦片而非金属瓦片时）。Pfautsch 强调：对屋顶进行反射涂层处理应是优先选择的解决方案，相比安装太阳能板或改进保温材料，这种方法更为经济高效。
Leading cool roof researcher Prof Sebastian Pfautsch says people who’ve unwittingly bought homes with dark roofs find themselves “in a real schemozzle” when summer hits, especially if their roof is covered in cement tiles rather than metal. “Cement has a much greater thermal mass, so it takes much longer to cool down,” explains Pfautsch, who is based at Western Sydney University. Pfautsch says retrofitting a roof with a reflective coating should be a first step, ahead of other options such as installing solar panels or better insulation. Solar panels can help cool a roof by converting radiant energy into electricity. Yet photovoltaic systems become less efficient if they get too hot, so installing panels on a dark, heat-absorbent roof is a false economy. “The first and most cost-effective thing to do is coat it,” says Pfautsch. “After that, put solar on. Once you have a light-coloured roof your solar panels work more effectively.” Sky gardens and cool coatings Combining panels with plants can create the triple win of a “bio-solar” roof – saving energy through insulation, boosting solar power output and increasing biodiversity. But planting a garden on top of your home can be challenging and expensive. In most cases, recoating a roof is cheaper and simpler.
太阳能电池板通过将辐射能转化为电能，有助于降低屋顶温度。然而，光伏系统若过热会降低效率，因此在深色、吸热的屋顶上安装面板实属得不偿失。
“There are many ways to retrofit a house to keep it cool and save energy but applying a coat of paint on the roof is one of the most efficient and low cost”, says Prof Chiara Neto, a physical chemist at the University of Sydney.
“首要且最具成本效益的做法是给屋顶涂层，”Pfautsch 表示。“完成这一步后，再安装太阳能板。拥有浅色屋顶后，太阳能电池板的工作效率会更高。” 空中花园与降温涂层 将电池板与植物结合，可打造“生物-太阳能”屋顶，实现三重收益：通过隔热节约能源、提升太阳能发电量、增加生物多样性。
“It could save up to 40% of your energy bill, especially if you have an older building with poor insulation and a dark roof.” Neto developed a film that reflects 96% of heat from the sun and also collects water.
但在自家屋顶种植花园既具挑战又昂贵。在大多数情况下，重新涂刷屋顶更便宜、更简单。
In 2022, Neto and her former PhD student founded a startup called Dewpoint to commercialise their invention. It hopes to retail the coating in Australia at a price competitive with existing premium paints. The product is undergoing trials in the Middle East, Asia and Australia. “People want to see it in action in a real building and measure energy efficiency over time,” Neto says.
“给房屋进行改造以保持凉爽并节约能源的方法有很多，但在屋顶涂刷一层漆是最高效、成本最低的方法之一，”悉尼大学物理化学家 Chiara Neto 教授表示。
In 2022, Neto and her former PhD student founded a startup called Dewpoint to commercialise their invention. It hopes to retail the coating in Australia at a price competitive with existing premium paints. The product is undergoing trials in the Middle East, Asia and Australia. “People want to see it in action in a real building and measure energy efficiency over time,” Neto says.
“特别是对于隔热差、屋顶颜色深的老旧建筑，这能节省高达 40% 的能源账单。” Neto 开发出一种薄膜，能反射 96% 的太阳热量，同时还能收集水资源。
“The paint is designed to let go of droplets so they roll off the roof readily and can be easily collected before they evaporate,” she explains. And because the roof stays cooler for longer, it’s more efficient at condensing moisture from the atmosphere. Plus, it’s self-cleaning, which maintains its reflective properties.
2022 年，Neto 与其前博士生共同创立了名为 Dewpoint 的初创公司，旨在将这一发明商业化。该公司希望在澳大利亚以具有竞争力的价格销售该涂层，价格可与现有优质涂料相媲美。该产品正在中东、亚洲和澳大利亚进行试验。“人们希望在真实建筑中看到其实际效果，并随时间测量能效，”Neto 表示。
“The paint is designed to let go of droplets so they roll off the roof readily and can be easily collected before they evaporate,” she explains. And because the roof stays cooler for longer, it’s more efficient at condensing moisture from the atmosphere. Plus, it’s self-cleaning, which maintains its reflective properties. Pfautsch says Super Therm is one product already on the market that is worth considering.
“这种涂料设计为易于脱落水滴，使水滴能顺利从屋顶滑落，并在蒸发前轻松收集，”她解释道。而且由于屋顶能保持更长时间的凉爽，其从大气中冷凝水分的效率也更高。此外，它还具有自洁功能，能保持反射性能。
“I have no shares and I’m not a sales agent for them,” he stresses. But some products don’t deliver what they promise, he warns, noting that Dulux paid a $400,000 penalty in 2016 for making unfounded claims about the temperature-reducing properties of two paints.
Pfautsch 表示，Super Therm 是目前市面上值得考虑的产品之一。
A heat-reflecting roof will generally be light-coloured but doesn’t have to be white, Pfautsch says, so it’s possible to avoid an excessively bright roof that reflects glare into nearby buildings. Neto notes that heat-reflective roof coatings mostly have a positive impact on nearby residents.
“我没有股份，也不是他们的销售代理，”他强调道。但他警告说，有些产品无法兑现承诺，并指出杜乐士因对两款涂料的降温性能做出无根据的宣称，于2016年被罚款40万美元。
A heat-reflecting roof will generally be light-coloured but doesn’t have to be white, Pfautsch says, so it’s possible to avoid an excessively bright roof that reflects glare into nearby buildings. Neto notes that heat-reflective roof coatings mostly have a positive impact on nearby residents.
普法奇表示，隔热屋顶通常颜色较浅，但不必是白色，因此可以避免过于明亮的屋顶将眩光反射到附近建筑内。内托指出，隔热屋顶涂层对周边居民大多有积极影响。
“If all roofs were treated, that could reduce the air temperature in a suburb by two or three degrees,” she says. “By preventing surfaces from getting hot, removing heat and passively cooling the surface, neighbouring buildings will benefit.” If you’re suffering under a hot roof, Pfautsch encourages you to do yourself, your neighbours and the planet a favour.
“如果所有屋顶都经过处理，可将郊区气温降低两三度，”她说。“通过防止表面升温、带走热量并被动冷却表面，邻近建筑将受益。”如果你正遭受炎热屋顶之苦，普法奇鼓励你为自己、邻居和地球做件好事。
“If all roofs were treated, that could reduce the air temperature in a suburb by two or three degrees,” she says. “By preventing surfaces from getting hot, removing heat and passively cooling the surface, neighbouring buildings will benefit.” If you’re suffering under a hot roof, Pfautsch encourages you to do yourself, your neighbours and the planet a favour.
“这是一个道德问题，关乎你想如何在社区中生活并做出贡献，”他说。
“It’s an ethical question of how you want to live in your community and make your contribution,” he says.