Using Metroxylon sagu leaves as a roof material for thermal comfort in humid tropical buildings

The utilisation of indigenous building materials for tourism, commercial, and public infrastructure in Indonesia is currently seeing significant growth. In Indonesia, the use of sago (Metroxylon sagu) and sugar palm leaves (Arenga pinnata) as roofing materials is considered a sustainable practice. Lack of locally generated and refined end products has increased demand for unsustainable plastic synthesis materials. This article studies sago and sugar palm leaf roof capacity and thermal performance. Two experimental models were built using sago leaf roofs (the studied model) and zinc roofs (the reference model) to compare their thermal performance. The study was to assess the temperatures of the attic, interior, and surfaces of the roof for each model. The thermal performance of zinc roofing for lowering air temperatures is worse than that of sago leaf roofs. One week of data showed air temperature changes throughout the roof, attic, and internal space surfaces of the two models. The comparison reveals that sago leaf roofs are cooler than zinc roofs and perform better thermally. Research shows that sago leaf roofs reduce heat better than zinc roofs. This finding indicates that there is a possibility of utilising them as a viable cooling option for architectural structures.