Recycled rubber and plastic roof tiles: analysis of their optothermal properties

The indoor comfort conditions of buildings depend on numerous variables such as orientation, ventilation, and the characteristics of the materials used. The accumulation or loss of heat due to these characteristics has a significant impact on the energy consumption of buildings. Incident shortwave solar radiation is absorbed by the building surfaces and reflected back to the atmosphere in the form of longwave sensible heat. This paper presents the opto-thermal properties, such as albedo, thermal emissivity, surface temperature, and solar reflectance index, of roof tiles made of rubber from scrap tires and low-density polyethylene recycled from discarded bags, drums, and pipes. The results are discussed by defining the advantages and disadvantages as well as some guidelines for future research.