Investigation of Passive Design Techniques for Pitched Roof Systems in the Tropical Region

Abstract

Pitched roof design represents the common system for the most tropical houses in Malaysia. Different angles and colours of this roof deliver various impacts on the indoor environment. This study focuses on estimating the amount of heat gain and roof surface temperature obtained from different roofing aspects. The paper hypothesizes that colour technique could change pitched roof design more than roof angles and materials. The research was based on simulation analysis applied on an actual room size with different roof angles (0°, 30°, 45° and 60°) in the Malaysian environment. As a result, the findings of different roofing systems affirm the hypothesis and show the significant of roof colour compare to area, angles and materials. This study contributes efficiently to the knowledge of the roofing design in the tropics. In addition, it will shed light on the economic sector and sustainability for optimum roofing concept particularly for low cost housing components in Malaysia.