The Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership was launched by then Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu as part of the Clean Energy Ministerial and the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC). GCCA manages GSEP’s Cool Roofs and Pavements Working Group for DOE.
The official members of the working group are the national governments of India, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, and the U.S. In addition, industry and academic representatives from each country are very active, making the Working Group a true public/private partnership.
Member countries generally commit to an action plan to accelerate the deployment of cool roofs and pavements that includes:
- Analyzing the energy savings, GHG reductions, and economic payback of deploying cool roofs and pavements.
- Developing standards for cool surface performance and testing procedures and infrastructure. These are usually voluntary at first, with long term goals to move the standards into mandatory building codes.
- Capacity building for technical experts, policymakers, and others.
- Demonstration projects
- Most importantly, the creation and support of local working groups to achieve the goals of the action plan.
Progress to date
- Mexico launched its action plan in May 2012. Since then, they have launched a local working group led by industry, published a national impact study, drafted a voluntary industry standard, attended cool surface testing and policy workshops in the U.S., and hosted a series of awareness raising conferences and meetings. A testing facility for cool surfaces is currently entering the accreditation process.
- South Africa joined the working group in January 2013. They have adopted an action plan, launched a local public/private cool surfaces organization (SACSA), and initiated an impact study based on the Mexico model.
- India has developed two projects to demonstrate the thermal comfort benefits of cool surfaces on low-income homes.
