Keepin' Cool

Overview

Objectives/Goals The objective of this project is to determine what outside paint colors are best to keep a house cooler (or warmer depending on the climate) so that money and energy could be saved. Methods/Materials Seven siding pieces were cut 1'x 1' and were painted with different colors of paint. The wood siding was then attached to a scaled down wall built with R-13 fiberglass batt, wood, and drywall to simulate an exterior house wall. One at a time, each siding piece was attached to the small wall and then inserted into the center of an insulated box. A light bulb was used as a heat source on one side of the wall. Theremometers were used to measure the temperature in the 1 cubic foot of air space on each side of the small wall. The temperatures for each color were recorded every 5 minutes for 2 hours. Results Lighter siding colors always resulted in cooler interior temperatures. Darker siding colors resulted in hotter interior temperatures. Conclusions/Discussion A house in a warmer climate would save money and energy painted a lighter color. A house in a cold climate would do better painted a darker color.

Competition history

• CSEF 2010 Materials Science (Junior Division Only) · Entry J1525

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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