Keeping up with the Climate

As mid-Missourians know, the weather can drastically change over the course of three hours. We've all seen it, we all hate it. Today, it is November 6th, and it is in the 70s. What is that? This isn't Florida. Now, I'm not complaining, and neither is anyone else in Columbia. But, as people have started to prepare for the winter, how do you compensate for a nice, warm, sunny day like this? You can't make your house completely cool friendly or completely heat friendly, because the weather fluctuates.

Well, there may be an answer. Apparently some researchers at MIT may have invented roof tiles that change color in the temperature. The article is very interesting, and you can find similar ones here, here and here. Basically, when it's hot out, the tiles will turn white. White reflects the most heat and will save energy. But, when it's cold out, white doesn't work as well and won't save you as much money. That's why the tiles turn black when it's colder, absorbing more heat and saving you money again.

Now, the product isn't market-ready yet, and the fine people at MIT are still working on that product, but imagine what that could do for us out here in mid-Missouri? Here, it's cold one day and hot the next. I remember two years ago, it was 65 on a Sunday and that Monday morning, it was in the high 50s to start off the day. Three hours later, it was snowing "dippin' dots" so it seemed. We all know the weather is crazy here. Maybe this research and development can really impact the lives of not only mid-Missourians, but the rest of the country and world.

We are looking for ways people are going green, but how are you conserving energy during certain seasons. Do you open the windows and use fans in the summer to prevent using a/c? Do you bundle up and use space heaters during the winter to prevent from using the heat? Let us know. And definitely keep an eye out for these 'Thermeleon" tiles, they are really interesting.