A new model, developed by researchers led by Zhonghua Zheng of the University of Manchester, suggests that rooftop rainwater sprinkler systems could help cool urban areas. The system involves a rooftop rainwater collection tank and sprinklers that activate at a predetermined outdoor temperature threshold.
Evaporation from the sprinklers cools the roof surface, which in turn can lower both indoor and outdoor temperatures. The researchers used Tokyo as a case study and found that widespread adoption of this strategy could reduce high surface and air temperatures in urban settings. Machine learning and artificial intelligence were used to create the model, which aims to artificially replicate the cooling effect of summer rain.
Source: Mongabay