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Cool Surfaces News Roundup: July 2014

Each quarter, the Global Cool Cities Alliance (GCCA) compiles the media covering cool roofs, cool pavements, and a wide range of urban heat island-related issues in a report we callCool Retrospective.  In this issue, we take a look back at the first half of 2014.

So far this year, a number of cities and countries have adopted new cool surface policies to mitigate the impacts of excess urban heat. Several new studies were released that highlight how reducing urban heat islands can address health, energy, environmental, and social justice issues.  You can find our latest news round-up online here.

cool urban initiatives and synoptic climatology

We at the University of Miami’s Synoptic Climatology Laboratory have just completed a study to determine how an increase in albedo and vegetation within an urban area will contribute to a healthier city. We used a novel approach: determining whether cooling associated with these urban changes will alter the air mass type over a city from one that historically leads to negative health outcomes to one that is more benign. We did determine some important improvements. To see the manuscript, please go to this site:https://www.coolrooftoolkit.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Three-City-Heat-Health-Report-FINAL.pdf

Any comments are welcome!

Thank you, Larry Kalkstein

Cities Taking On Extreme Heat Down Under

Research commissioned by the City of Melbourne as part of its Climate Change Adaptation Strategy found that a January heat wave cost local businesses approximately $37 million.  City administrators know that with the increased frequency and intensity of heatwaves, they need to understand of the economic impacts of such events on businesses.  From theCity of Melbourne

City of Melbourne Environment portfolio chair, Councillor Arron Wood, said Council is firmly focused on building Melbourne’s resilience to climate impacts.

“We’re doubling tree canopy cover for our urban forest, upgrading drainage infrastructure, funding more energy efficient buildings, implementing planning processes to minimise climate risk and installing various water-sensitive urban design initiatives.  Heatwaves don’t only impact our city economically, heat related illness also kills more Australian’s each year than any other natural disaster so City of Melbourne has identified this as a priority issue we must prepare better for,” Cr Wood said.

Meanwhile, the City of Sydney is conducting a trial to see if lighter colored pavement will help reduce the urban heat island effect and improve the comfort and health of the people who live there.  From Australia’s Business Insider:

“Materials such as concrete and cement store more heat than natural surfaces, absorbing it during the day and releasing it at night, which can contribute to hotter urban areas,  . . .  Lighter coloured pavements may result in lower energy bills for surrounding buildings.”

Extreme Heat Triggers Power and Water Cuts in Northern India

A record-breaking heat wave hit northern India in June as temperatures reached 120 degrees.  The power authority couldn’t meet the increased energy demand which has led to power and water cuts throughout the region.

Protesters took to the streets over the lack of basic services and attacked power sub stations, taking several workers hostage, and many companies are keeping workers indoors during the mid-day peak heat.  The extreme heat has also resulted in many deaths among the homeless, elderly and other vulnerable populations.

IPCC Report: Cool Roofs Help Reduce Urban Heat

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change brought together 235 authors from 58 nations to map out strategies for mitigating the impact of climate change.  The buildings section of their report notes that sixty percent of urban surfaces are covered by pavement or rooftops, and that cool roofs can help reduce energy demand, lower temperatures within buildings, improve air quality, and lessen the impact of the urban heat island effect in cities around the world.

Cool Pavements Explained in 2 Minutes

Dark surfaces absorb sunlight and heat. Reflective surfaces help bounce heat away from our
cities. What works with roofs works with roads and parking
lots.

Lawrence Berkeley Lab and UC Davis researchers explain
how cool pavements work to cool our cities and improve
the health of the people living in urban areas.  Take a look.

 

Decreased air temperature.
Increased air quality.
Improved public health.

They all add up to make life in the city more comfortable.

Senator Ben Cardin Introduces Cool Roofs Bill in the Senate!

Maryland Senator Ben Cardin recently introduced a bi-partisan bill that is sure to help bring down urban heat and create new jobs nationwide.  The Energy-Efficient Cool Roofs Act (S. 2388) was introduced on May 22, 2014 and has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee, of which Senator Cardin is a member.   From Senator Cardin’s Press Release:

We don’t need to choose between good jobs and helping the environment – we can do both with the same policy.   Cool Roofs provides an opportunity to reduce energy consumption and add nearly 40,000 jobs to a sector of our economy that still has not felt the full effect of our emergent recovery.  It’s no wonder this bill, which provides incentives to install energy efficient roofs and simplifies the tax code, has such broad support across industries and labor.

This bill has been co-sponsored by Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.), and U.S. Representatives Tom Reed (R-NY) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) have introduced a companion bill in the House (H.R. 4740).

Additional supporters include:

Alliance to Save Energy
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)
Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)
Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing (CEIR)
Global Cool Cities Alliance (GCCA)
Institute for Market Transformation (IMT)
Joint Roofing Industry Labor and Management Committee
National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)
Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA)
Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA)
United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers

You can read more about this bill HERE.

Growing the Market for Energy Efficiency in South Africa

U.S. Department of Energy Launches Effort to Grow the Market for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in South Africa

WASHINGTON, D.C— The Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) launched a new initiative to grow a robust market for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in South Africa.  The initiative is an opportunity for large and small U.S. businesses to better understand the South African business and policy environment, develop relationships with potential business partners, and demonstrate their products in new, developing markets.

The Global Cool Cities Alliance is leading a project team that includes the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), University of South Florida (USF), PEER Africa, National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), and WinBuild.

Each partner brings a unique set of skills, access, and expertise to the project. LBNL, WinBuild, NFRC, and GCCA offer deep technical expertise and industry connections to a broad group of building envelope material manufacturers and suppliers.  USF’s Solar Energy Research Center is a leading expert on a variety of solar energy applications, modeling, and training.  SANEDI and PEER Africa provide unparalleled access to South African government representatives, municipal leaders, and key market stakeholders.

The project team will leverage existing relationships and significant progress achieved under the Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership (GSEP) Cool Roofs and Pavements Working Group.  After joining the Working Group in January 2013, the South African government, led by SANEDI, has actively pursued a public-private strategy to grow the market and infrastructure for cool surfaces.

“The collaboration is an excellent demonstration of how U.S. technologies can help other nations reach their energy goals.  It will spur growth of African markets for energy efficient and renewable energy technologies, providing an opportunity for American companies abroad, while also building a skilled domestic workforce,” said Rob Sandoli, Director of the Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy International Program..

The project team will publish a series of online guides for American manufacturers and suppliers to detail the opportunities and challenges of the South African market and regulatory environment.  The project team will also work with South African stakeholders to test and rate products, share best practices for growing a robust clean energy marketplace, and engage in workforce training to ensure that products are installed and maintained appropriately and develop capacity to manage the system following the initiative’s completion in 2016.

The first demonstration project was carried out by WinBuild, Inc., in partnership with a small California-based cool coatings manufacturer, and PEER Africa, a prominent developer and partner of a training initiative recognized by the South African Department of Energy called iEEECO™ Flagship Eskom Youth BEAT Program.  Working together, the three groups outfitted an affordable home in the !Kheis municipality with a cool, reflective coating, improving living conditions and saving energy.

“The reflective paint has made a very large improvement in temperature in our home,” said Elton Speelman, a recipient of the pilot project’s reflective paint. “My father used to have to take his bed outside to nap because it was too warm inside, but now we can nap inside on a hot day.  We are very happy with the paint.”

Cool coating applied to new affordable housing structure. Photo: PEER Africa

The initiative goes well beyond heating and cooling, to encourage deployment of other clean energy technologies into the South African market.  The project prioritizes in-demand products: solar water heaters, solar PV technologies, LED lighting, daylight harvesting systems, and more.

GSEP Helps Mexico Identify Energy and Emission Savings from Cool Roofs

A national study involving 7 major cities covering each of Mexico’s 6 climate zones, found that cool roofs could help commercial and residential buildings reduce energy consumption by 7 to 18 percent.  The study also found that if cool roof technology were used in just three of the cities studied, it could result in the carbon pollution savings of taking 480,000 cars off the roads, and that these cool roof investments would pay for themselves within 3 years.  It is hoped that studies such as this will help raise global awareness of the energy saving potential of cool surfaces, and help drive supportive policies and market growth for these technologies.

The study was conducted as part of a comprehensive “Cool Roofs Action Plan” developed through support from the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership (GSEP).  The Global Cool Cities Alliance (GCCA) is coordinating GSEP’s Cool Roofs and Pavements Working Group, and GCCA’s Executive Director, Kurt Shickman is one of the authors of this study.  You can learn more about GCCA’s work on GSEP here.