re: #201 Rightwingconspirator

About that paint for buildings? In Los Angeles we get clear and cold in winter. What sunlight warm that can be absorbed is welcome and cuts heating a bit. But I would have paint that radiated the heat? Suddenly need the best ever insulation to keep the heat inside.

It’s a balance between efficient heating (dark exterior materials to absorb sunlight, clear windows to pass light through) and efficient cooling (light exterior materials to reflect sunlight, darkly tinted and reflective windows to minimize incoming light). It all depends on which one costs more. Around here, heating is generally cheap and air conditioning is fairly expensive, and there’s more of a need for warmth due to the length of our winter and the bitter cold. So we benefit more from dark rooftops, clear windows, and less reflective building materials.