Indonesia adopts cool roofs to combat heatwaves and reduce energy costs

A low-cost, sustainable solution to the increasing heatwaves in Southeast Asia is being implemented in Indonesia through the use of “cool” roofs. These roofs have a special coating applied to them that reflects sunlight and reduces the amount of heat absorbed by a building, resulting in lower indoor temperatures.

In Indonesia, the Cool Roofs project, led by architecture lecturer Beta Paramita, aims to scale this climate-friendly solution. The majority of commercial and office buildings in Indonesia can afford air-conditioning, but 80% of homes and most schools do not have this luxury. Last year, Cool Roofs Indonesia won the Million Cool Roofs Challenge, a global competition that aims to scale the use of cool roofs in developing countries suffering from heat stress, and received a US$750,000 grant.

The project initially focused on residences but…