On a non-AC bus...Can anyone point to any scientific evidence that proves a white roof on a school bus makes any difference in the interior temperature? Especially since the white paint seems to be applied on less of the roof than it used to.
Also...what good are tinted windows if when the weather gets warm enough, the window is lowered essentially giving you double tint on the bottom pane and no tint on the top pane?
90 degrees and humid in OH today and I'm not sure either of these expensive options helped to keep my drivers or kids any cooler on the ride home.
The white roof will reflect the sun rays that is a scientific fact how much that helps I'm not sure in degrees of temperature. I do believe that the tented windows help to reflect the sun rays not just while your on the route but even when the bus is parked which helps to keep the interior from fading and dry rotting.I think your only looking at a temp drop of only a few degrees and may not be that noticeable.
I'll tell ya, the bus I drive has tinted windows and what a difference it makes. The interior stays much cooler that way. As for the white roof, the bus I owned for awhile had a factory yellow roof and it burned to the touch. I made the decision to paint it white and once that was done you could touch it and it was fairly cool.
I did not find a climate difference between a white top with tinted windows verses a school bus without it. Although the tint prevented the seats from getting scorching hot.
I conducted the experiment on a 95 degree day. The pavement was 120 degrees. The hood of the buses at 110 degrees. There was little to no breeze. Buses were parked side by side.
While in motion to create a breeze, I found only an 8-degree difference with the windows down on a white top bus with tinted windows compared to a bus that had A/C. I reacted a 45 minute route with 10 stops. The A/C bus was coolest at the front and rear, while the mid section was warmest.