Student representing Medicine Hat and southeast Alberta at country-wide science fair with energy saving roof. Courtesy/Echo Moreton

By Jayk Sterkenburg

SMILE SUNDAYS

Student representing Medicine Hat at Canada-wide science fair with ‘SMART Roof’

Mar 30, 2025 | 8:00 AM

CAPE School’s Echo Moreton came up with a ‘SMART Roof’ science fair project that grants her the opportunity to represent Medicine Hat and southeast Alberta at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in May.

Moreton describes her SMART Roof project as a colour changing roof that changes from black to white at 26 C.

She said its intention is to keep houses cool in the summer, and warm in the winter.

“My SMART Roof is my answer to the global climate change crisis, and it saves us money because it actually works,” Moreton said in a statement Friday.

The project won gold and the Minerva award at the Kiwanis Southeast Regional Science Fair March 22.

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“My main focus is to save the world, by decreasing the rate that the global temperatures are rising,” Moreton said.

“How can residents, using existing and easily accessible resources, help reduce the rate of the rising global temperatures, and how can we save money while doing it?”

Moreton demonstrates her SMART Roof project. Courtesy/Echo Moreton

Courtesy/Echo Moreton

Moreton is a senior member of the Alberta Youth Leaders for Environmental Education, an organization that advocates for environmental education in Alberta.

She said she got her idea by joining two other ideas together — her colour changing nail polish, that changes colour due to exposure to sunlight, and the ability to sit on different colour car seats in both summer and winter.

Moreton said that, in future applications, she would like to see her SMART Roof technology implemented on government low-income housing roofs, commercial buildings, and residential houses.