Rooftop adhesive trial: finding safe, durable ways to secure reflective film

The India team recently carried out a rooftop experiment to evaluate how different adhesive approaches might help secure MEER reflective film to corrugated roofing in a safe, durable and scalable way. The aim is to identify bonding methods — ideally using simple, locally accessible or natural adhesives — that can support long-term installations in informal settlements where households face severe and recurring heat stress.

Several adhesive samples were applied to small sections of reflective film mounted on a standard galvanised rooftop sheet and left to cure naturally under the intense rooftop conditions typical of urban India. Over the following weeks, the team monitored how each option performed when exposed to heat, dust, humidity and daily temperature swings, focusing on which solutions remained stable, durable and practical for community-level deployment.

This work forms an important part of MEER's broader effort to adapt cooling systems for the realities of low-income, high-heat neighbourhoods. Reflective surfaces can significantly reduce indoor temperatures, but their long-term impact depends on how reliably they can be attached to existing structures. Finding safe, affordable and accessible adhesive solutions — particularly those that could be produced locally or derived from natural materials — will help ensure MEER's interventions can be installed easily by households and community teams.

The rooftop trial has been fully documented and will inform future guidelines for India and other regions where MEER is working. These small but essential tests help ensure that every component of MEER's system is optimized for the communities who need cooling most.