Cooling the roof

The system makes the most out of the air-in-motion [convection] concept, in which warm air rises because of its lower density and cooler air with higher density replaces it.

The Cool Roof system has four key elements: reflective insulation, air-intake slots, gap setting and a ventilation ridge set.

For the system to work, we create a free space for air rotation by installing air-intake slots inside the eaves. This allows cool air to flow in under the roof tiles to replace rising hot air.

Next, gap setting is used to expand an air-cooling layer between the reflective insulation and the roof tiles. Finally, a ventilation ridge set is installed at the rooftop to create an outlet for hot air.

The system creates constant air rotation that helps to cool down the roof temperature and keeps the inside of the house comfortably cool all day without wasting electricity. And thanks to systematic and precise arrangement of airflow throughout the roof, reflective insulation can block off external hot air more efficiently.

Compared to conventional roofing, the clean technology-based CPAC Monier Cool Roof system is more efficient, more economical and better for the environment. To be precise, it makes the interior of the house about 2 degrees Celsius cooler, thereby reducing electricity use on air-conditioning by 20 to 34 per cent and doubling the efficiency of reflective insulation.

These figures are the result of an experiment jointly conducted on a 16-square-metre model house by the Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment Programme of King Mongkut's Universities of Technology Thon Buri and North Bangkok, Chiang Mai University, Songkhla University and Thammasat University's Sirindhorn International Technology Institute, in cooperation with CPAC Roof Tiles' parent company, the Siam Cement Group.