DUAL PURPOSE BUILDING MATERIALS

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• Dual purpose building materials

Other building materials can serve a dual purpose. The main one usable in green building is building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).

SOLAR PANELS

These consist of materials such as roof tiles which have a photovoltaic membrane allowing them to generate electricity whilst providing the weather protection of a normal roof tile without looking out of place compared to a solar panel. These are also called sun tiles or solar tiles.

They have not been especially popular as they are much more expensive than already expensive solar PV panles. It is cheaper to cut a hole in a new roof and mount normal solar panels, or surface mount, than fit these tiles.

GREEN ROOF

A green roof has multiple roles, including protection and insulation (the roof bit) and habitat along with rainwater storage and flow attenuation (the green bit).

RAMMED EARTH and CONCRETE

This is now promoted as green due to its high thermal mass (amount of heat it can store). The same applies to rammed earth walls or walls made from gabions of old tyres, with earth packing.