Cool roofs and urban vegetation reduce energy use in buildings, lower local air pollutant concentrations, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions from urban areas. This report summarizes the results of a detailed monitoring project in India and related simulations of meteorology and air quality in three developing countries. The field results quantified direct energy savings from installation of cool roofs on individual commercial buildings. The measured annual energy savings potential from roof-whitening of previously black roofs ranged from 20 –22 kWh/m2 of roof area, corresponding to an air-conditioning energy use reduction of 14 – 26% in commercial buildings. The study estimated that typical annual savings of 13 – 14 kWh/m2 of roof area could be achieved by applying white coating to uncoated concrete roofs on commercial buildings in the Metropolitan Hyderabad region, corresponding to cooling energy savings of 10 –19%

1. White Roof Project
URBAN HEAT ISLANDS:
CONSUMER, KILLER.
ENERGY COSTS ARE THROUGH THE ROOF.
HOW PAINTING THEM WHITE CAN CURB CLIMATE CHANGE.

2. THE EARTH TODAY
IS FULL OF DENSE CITIES WITH ROOFS AND ROADS
HEAT GETS TRAPPED IN THESE DARK SURFACES
THE WORLD
ABSORBS
71%
SUNLIGHT
REFLECTS
ON A HOT SUMMER DAY
29%
SUNLIGHT
A CITY VERSUS A SUBURB
SUBURB
CITY NIGHT
DAY 22°F
15°F
HOTTER
COOLER
VS. White Roof Project

3. KILLER: HEAT
IN THE SUMMER IT’S NOT ONLY A SILENT KILLER.
IT’S OUR MOST DANGEROUS NATURAL DISASTER.
}U.S NATURAL DISASTERS
1970 - 2004 97°F 105°F
1934 1990
ANNUAL PEAK TEMPERATURE LOS ANGELES
15,958 people died
80
14
White Roof Project
1997 2080
HURRICANES HEAT DAYS ABOVE 90°F IN LOS ANGELES
LIGHTNING
TORNADOES
RELATED
FLOODS
EARTHQUAKES 50%
39% SAVE GRANDMA
ELDERLY FOLKS AND RESIDENTS
IN LOW INCOME AREAS ARE AT THE
HIGHEST RISK FOR HEAT RELATED
= 1,000 OTHER
DEATH IN CITIES.
11% White Roof Project

4. CONSUMER: ENERGY
OUR DEPENDENCY ON COAL FOR ENERGY IS
SOMETHING WE CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE.
}ENERGY CONSUMPTION CITIES IN PERIL
IN THE U.S. TOKYO, WASHINGTON, PHOENIX,
SHANGHAI, TUCSON, BALTIMORE,
AND HUNDREDS MORE.
ELECTRIC DEMAND
9% IN LOS ANGELES
83.4% 7.6%
COAL, OIL &
NATURAL GAS
NUCLEAR RENEWABLE 3 POWER PLANTS
(1.5 GIGAWATTS)
COMPENSATE FOR THE URBAN
CITY DEMANDS ARE GROWING HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.
10% OF URBAN ELECTRICITY DEMAND HOURLY: $100,000
YEARLY: $100,000,000
COMPENSATES FOR THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT
2% ELECTRICIT
INCREASE FOR
Y EVERY DECADE
AIR TEMPERATURE
1°F RISE IN TEMP
INCREASES 1°F
EVERY 10 YRS. DEMAND INCREASES BY
AIR TEMP
2010s
POWER
1930s 1 PLANT
White Roof Project

5. POWER OUTAGES
CITIES ARE MEETING THEIR PEAK LOADS.
THAT MEANS A GREATER CHANCE OF BLACKOUTS.
NYC’S 2003 BLACKOUT
PEAK DEMAND BLACKOUT
28,634 MEGAWATTS 22,934 MEGAWATTS OFFLINE
QUEENS, NEW YORK 2006: 9 DAY OUTAGE
}
$188,000,000 $111M $77M
TOTAL LOSSES COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL MAJOR LOSS CATEGORIES
$29M
LOST WAGES & DINING OUT
$21.5M
SPOILED FOOD
$19M
174,000 PEOPLE AFFECTED $17.5 MILLION REIMBURSED HOUSING RELATED
$7.3M
MEDICAL RELATED
= $1,000,000
White Roof Project

6. BLACK vs. WHITE
WHAT CAN WE DO?
ROOF ROOF A TALE OF TWO ROOFTOPS
AIR
90°F ENERGY SAVINGS A/C SAVINGS BY STATE
BY BUILDING TYPE % OF BUILDINGS WITH A/C
+ AGGREGATE ROOF AREA
- WHITE ROOF EFFECT
39%
HOSPITAL $37,000,000
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
ROOF ROOF 18% $35,000,000
TEMP TEMP COMMERCIAL
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
180°F 100°F = $1,000,000
INSIDE INSIDE 28%
SCHOOL
115°F 80°F UNITED STATES SAVINGS
REFLECTS REFLECTS 17% WHITE ROOF EFFECT
20% 85% OFFICE
$5,000,000,000
SUNLIGHT
KEEPS IN
SUNLIGHT
REDUCES
19%
HOME
$100
SMOG SMOG
HEATS SAVES ON
ELECTRIC
46%
PORTABLES
STORM BILL UP TO
WATER ROOF WATER RUNOFF
30°F 40% DRAINS INTO RIVERS, LAKES, AND
OCEANS CAUSING SURFACE WATER
White Roof Project TEMPERATURES TO RISE 8°F

7. CITYWIDE EFFECTS
LOS ANGELES PROGRAM White Roof Project
}
10M $170,000,000 $360,000,000
TREES PLANTED ANNUAL SAVINGS ELECTRICITY ANNUAL SAVINGS IN SMOG & HEALTH
5M + 1/4
ROOFTOPS + ROADS PAINTED
$1,000,000,000
COST = $1 BILLION
11 METROPOLITAN CITIES FORECAST TOTAL ENERGY SAVINGS
7 GIGAWATTS = 14 POWER PLANTS = $750
MILLION SAVED

8. THE EARTH IN 2030
2/3 OF THE ENTIRE POPULATION WILL
LIVE IN URBAN SETTINGS.
WILL
ABSORB
70%
SUNLIGHT
IF WE PAINT EVERY YEAR REFLECT
30%
5% FOR 20 YEARS
IN 2030 WE’LL BE DONE.
SUNLIGHT
=
TOTAL SAVINGS INCO 2 CO2 EMITTED IN 2010 IT’S LIKE TURNING
24 BILLION 24 BILLION OFF THE WORLD FOR
METRIC TONS METRIC TONS 1 YEAR.
by jcp e White Roof Project
© WHITE ROOF PROJECT 2010 www.whiteroofproject.com