Third Place- High School
UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed
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Goal 13: Climate Action
2019 Youth Design Challenge
This design concept was developed by participants in the Institute’s Youth Design Challenge. The descriptions below are from the team’s competition entry materials.
School: Homeschool
Location: Edmonds, WA, United States
Coach: Betsy King
Team members: Annalisa King, Shannae McIntosh
Video Pitch
Innovation Details
This rooftop design uses total internal reflection to keep buildings in urban heat islands cool. Translucent, inverted prisms on curved panels provide optimal total internal reflection due to angled placement of the prisms and a layer of air underneath. The rooftop consists of segmented panels which can retract. This feature reduces the need for heating during cold weather and increases rooftop functionality. The panels are easy to retrofit on buildings and are made of low-cost, recyclable materials. The reflective roof reduces heat absorption and air conditioning usage, helping urban communities mitigate and adapt to climate change.
