What we really need is white paint in the summer, black paint in the winter - reversible roofs, if you will.
That said, in the desert southwest and many places in the world, white roofs are common. I wish it were more common in the southeast...
That said, in the desert southwest and many places in the world, white roofs are common. I wish it were more common in the southeast...
In general I think a lot of energy savings can be realized by accommodating buildings to the prevailing climate, and using passive means of heating and cooling.
I'd never thought about ceiling height - that makes a lot of sense.
This is all known science but getting it cheap enough to be used as roofing is the trick.
In the summer, they shade the roof keeping it cooler.
In the winter, they provide an additional ventilation area that allows heat to escape without melting snow (thus mitigating risk of ice dams). Even a snow covered solar panel provides a benefit.