China has begun spraying water from residential building rooftops in urban areas as a method of cooling on hot summer days.
Air-conditioning is a tried and tested method of cooling developed areas during the summer months. However, China is now turning to alternative methods, one of which has gone viral on social media for its effectiveness.
“Rooftop rain”, implemented in Yuncheng, a city in China’s Shanxi province, is a new, innovative urban cooling system that sees high-rise apartment buildings fitted with rooftop systems that disperse water mist into the air.
How the “rooftop rain” system works
Rooftop rain is based upon the principle of evaporative cooling. The high-pressure nozzles spray extremely fine water droplets which, as they evaporate, absorb heat from the surrounding air and cool it through evaporation.
The system only works as intentioned on very hot days. The water needs to evaporate in contact with hot air, so if the temperatures were not hot enough, the water would simply rain down on passersby.
Social media users have questioned why Europe and North America haven’t employed the system, especially given the heatwaves currently scorching their major cities during the summer.
For more on summer, check out our coverage of the death toll in France exceeding 1,000 people due to the heatwave, or the tourist who won a lawsuit after not getting a sun lounger on vacation.
-Dexerto
Air-conditioning is a tried and tested method of cooling developed areas during the summer months. However, China is now turning to alternative methods, one of which has gone viral on social media for its effectiveness.
“Rooftop rain”, implemented in Yuncheng, a city in China’s Shanxi province, is a new, innovative urban cooling system that sees high-rise apartment buildings fitted with rooftop systems that disperse water mist into the air.
How the “rooftop rain” system works
Rooftop rain is based upon the principle of evaporative cooling. The high-pressure nozzles spray extremely fine water droplets which, as they evaporate, absorb heat from the surrounding air and cool it through evaporation.
The system only works as intentioned on very hot days. The water needs to evaporate in contact with hot air, so if the temperatures were not hot enough, the water would simply rain down on passersby.
Social media users have questioned why Europe and North America haven’t employed the system, especially given the heatwaves currently scorching their major cities during the summer.
For more on summer, check out our coverage of the death toll in France exceeding 1,000 people due to the heatwave, or the tourist who won a lawsuit after not getting a sun lounger on vacation.
-Dexerto
