Admittedly, global warming is the biggest challenge that humanity faces today. Since the dawn of modern civilization, roofs have been constructed with heat-retaining materials like concrete though raising awareness about global warming has seen solar panels and terrace gardens being employed as more planet-friendly solutions. However, in a world struggling to maintain the delicate balance between development and sustainability, roofs of urban buildings need to be not only heat-repelling but also energy-generating. This is where the Energy Roof concept by designer Wooho Park comes into the picture.
The next generation of smart roofs, the Energy Roof serves its basic function of providing a structure with shelter and protection from weather. The roof also meets the 21st century requirement of being eco friendly and energy saving. It is quite future ready since it was made to serve as a power engine for self sufficient buildings. The high-tech roof uses solar ivy which is fitted with piezo photovoltaic panels in conjunction with super-hydrophobic metal and green roof technology to provide a new generation solution to roofing.
The solar ivy is a new take on traditional solar panels and is a series of leaf-shaped solar panels that come with piezoelectric material embedded in it. The leaves are designed to collect solar energy as well as wind energy and also help in harvesting rainwater. The branch-like structure is created to transfer the energy collected by the leaves to the main batteries for storage and distribution.
The second layer of the roof is made from super hydrophobic metal which features a nano scale surface that is etched or molded on metal to repel water and keep ice from forming. The layer below these two layers features a garden installed on the roof of building to retain heat, harvest rainwater and purify air. The water collected via this garden is to be consumed by plants or collected in a water tank. The electricity and water produced with this system can then be used within the building.