FCC

How to be energy-efficient in roofing and cladding

2023-03-28

Protection, insulation, an increased lifespan and aesthetics…all these desirables fall under the ambit of roofing and cladding. While protecting a building and its inhabitants from the weather, like rain, snow, wind or sun, is ideally the main purpose of roofing and cladding, their role in the built environment has gone much further. That apart, the geographic diversity of India has led to the use of numerous materials for roofing and cladding, such as clay, concrete, metal, stone, thatch, brick, terracotta and glass.

Façade claddings are evolving rapidly with their functional features being upgraded and their aesthetics getting more contemporary and smarter. “Facades are the key elements to beautify structures,” says Gaurav Sanghavi, Partner, Pentaspace Design Studio. “The latest trends include perforated parametric designs, fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP), green façade, and solar cells or PV solar façade.Three of the more exciting façade technologies that have been developed are electrochromic glass façade (or smart glass), kinematic façade and transparent solar panel roofing.”

According to Mahendra Pawar, Founder, Zen Bull Architects, technological innovation has given rise to new-age options, which include cool roofs, green roofs and solar shingles. “Cool roofing materials are designed to reflect as much of the sun’s heat away from a building as possible, rather than absorbing it like most traditional roofing materials. This helps keep your property cooler, which in turn increases its energy-efficiency by requiring less energy to be spent on cooling. It also prolongs the life of a roof by minimising damage caused by sunlight...