Growing urbanisation and more frequent heatwaves due to climate change lead to overheating of buildings in the summer, a phenomenon which is currently addressed by intensive use of air conditioning with consequent increased emissions of greenhouse gases.

Among the solutions for reducing buildings overheating are passive cooling technologies, able to reduce the temperature of roofs and walls. The increased number of green and reflective building elements, installed during the last decades, made it possible to see that some of these technologies present durability and maintenance issues thus compromising their environmental performance.

In such a context, the use of ventilated and permeable roofs (VPRs), made of clay tiles, can represent a sustainable and low-cost technology that allows the roof to breathe and disperse the accumulated solar heat, with high performance, which remains stable over time.

The project LIFE HEROTILE developed new types of roof tiles and demonstrated the effectiveness of the HEROTILE-based roof (HBR) in reducing cooling energy by up to 50% compared to other solutions.

Start date: July 2020 - End date: July 2025

Partners

• Consorzio Universitario per la gestione del Centro di Ricerca e Sperimentazione per l'Industria Ceramica - Centro Ceramico
• Centre Technique del Matériaux Naturels de Construction
• Edilians SAS
• Industrie Cotto Possagno S.p.A.
• Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Ladrillos y Tejas de Arcilla Cocida
• CONFINDUSTRIA CERAMICA

More information here