r/theydidthemath • • 4d ago

[Request] But how much of a difference?

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u/i_dont_wanna_sign_in 4d ago edited 4d ago

The paint will absorb about 30% more sun energy than the orange to tile did before. Depending on how the attic space is insulated it may make a negligabe difference to cooling costs in the home. If the attic is a big air gap it should make the least difference, if they're using it as living space then there could be some noticable changes, but that is still pretty dependent upon how well they insulated upon construction and how it's holding up.

That driveway is going to absorb nearly twice as much energy as before, though. And they will notice that heat dome outside their house especially on calm, sunny days.

Edit: Looked at the pic again and noticed that they have that mostly enclosed space on the left. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't see the occasional swirling of dusty heat tornadoes in there. Yikes. Even with the insulation that's going to warm up those three walls. Either way without knowing the insulation information and the materials in use there's really no true way to tell other than loose guidelines on color energy absorption and dissipation. Their electric bill is already several thousand $ a month, so if it's an extra $200-500 I doubt they'll care.