With all the focus given to improve technology, it’s heartening to see some attention diverted to the needs of the poor. The one doing so is a startup based in India called ReMaterials. Their aim is to help the poor by providing an upcycled material roof to cover their heads.
What do you commonly see in the homes of the poor? You will most certainly envision a roof with corrugated metal roofs. Why? They are cheap and substandard. Unfortunately, they are far from being the best solution. Come monsoon, they invariably begin to leak. Also, they are very bad insulators. So it’s either burning hot or deadly cold inside the home. More importantly, asbestos is often found in such roofs. In other words, these roofs do not act anything like what a roof should be.
Upcycled Garbage to Create Solar Roof (Source: re-materials)
This is where ReMaterials comes in. These guys believe that they have created a better solution for roofs that are affordable as well. Their creation is called ModRoof a modular upcycled roofing system. Even better is that these roofs are completely sustainable.
The roofing panels of ModRoof are manufactured in the city of Ahmedabad. They are created from recycled waste from the packaging and agricultural industry that includes stuff like coconut fibers and cardboard. There can be no doubt about the market potential for a thing like this. It can certainly become global. However, that’s not the end of it. These guys are even trying to create a prototype roof panel integrated with solar cells. These panels are not only fire-resistant, they are also waterproof. They can even remain quiet during the rains. The design allows these panels to be interlocked before a sealant is applied. They are capable of making the room cooler by at least 6 degrees Celsius compared to a metal roof. Lastly, they are cheaper than the usual roof, making it a roof for less.
Now, that’s just badass cool.
Upcycled Garbage to Create Solar Roof (Source: re-materials)
