Dark roofs out at major SA development
In an effort to avoid its $1 billion urban renewal project from becoming a “heat island”, the South Australian government is cracking down on dark roofs.
The Playford Alive housing development in Munno Para is one of the country’s largest urban renewal projects and has been under development since 2008. Largely a government-led initiative, it involves both the renovation and refurbishment of existing properties as well as the establishment of more than 2,000 new lots, and is expected to be home to 40,000 people by 2027.
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And while the government has already pushed the project forward with both social housing initiatives and vital infrastructure projects such as new roads, schools, a town centre, recreational areas and community facilities, there’s one aspect of liveability that has remained elusive.
In large scale developments such as these, particularly where the tree canopy will take many years to grow, heat can be a big problem and serve as a deterrent to attracting residents. Not only are the neighbourhoods hotter, but the homes themselves can rise to uncomfortable temperatures and be extremely costly to cool.
That’s why the South Australian government has decided that dark-coloured roofs will be eliminated in all future stages of the Playford Alive development, with policymakers citing numerous data points to affirm that this small change will actually make a substantial difference in both public comfort and power bills.
According to a report conducted by Seed Consulting in 2018 in Adelaide’s north, light-roofed houses were 4.3 degrees cooler than average during the day, while dark-roofed houses were found to be 4.6 degrees hotter than average during the day.
The state’s Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Nick Champion, said the government had recognised that in light of the data, the Playford Alive development represented a chance to “lead the way and encourage developers and builders to get on board with these more sustainable, energy-friendly measures”.
“Encouraging the use of light-coloured roofs in home designs helps to reduce temperature fluctuations in the home – lowering electricity bills and minimising the environmental footprint associated with traditional building practices,” he said.
“It is imperative that we mitigate any potential urban heat island effect by implementing these changes now, as our infill is built up to meet housing demands.”
The director of communications and policy at Master Builders SA, Kym Morgan, commented that the move would pay off for individual consumers and the community alike.
“Light-coloured roofing just makes sense, particularly out north where we know it gets hotter. It leads to significantly cooler homes and that ultimately means less time running air conditioners and lower energy bills. It also means cooler suburbs if consumers adopt lighter roofs en masse,” Mr Morgan said.
“Well done to the SA government for taking the lead. As the peak industry group for the building and construction industry, Master Builders SA will encourage private builders in this stage of Playford Alive to also get on board and steer their consumers towards light-coloured roofing,” he added.
