Design for the Future: Terracotta Tiles Help Reduce Energy Consumption

Faculty of Engineering’s research team unveiled an innovative design for terracotta roof tiles to improve ventilation at the structural level for houses and buildings.

“The idea was based on coming up with a design that would allow the roof to capture dew drops at night, while allowing them to evaporate during the day. This mechanism would enable the roof and the interior of a building to stay cool,” said the team’s representative.

The design features a relief design with either half-spheres or straight lines, resulting in an uneven surface without compromising the tile’s structural strength. Due to their heat-reduction properties, these tiles help to cool down the interior temperature by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius, thus reducing up to 20 per cent of the energy consumption within the building.

“This design can also be applied to other building construction materials, such as wall surfaces that have direct contact with sunlight. We can apply this relief design to the walls, in order to help cool down the interiors from midday heat,” said the representative.

This innovation is an example of an ingenious replication of a natural heat transfer mechanism to help conserve energy. The team is applying for a patent on the design.

For more information on this project, contact 02 549 4032.