Major urban centers are warming due to a combination of global and local phenomena. City governments are increasingly adopting strategies to mitigate the causes and impacts of extreme heat on their populations. Among these strategies are high solar-reflectance (cool) surfaces installed on building roofs and walls. Use of cool surfaces is a cost-effective and simple strategy that replaces conventional darker surfaces with surfaces that have a high reflectance to shortwave (solar) energy.
This report reviews the recent history of cool-surface deployment efforts. This includes peer-reviewed literature, conference proceedings, and grey literature to identify challenges and barriers to wide-scale deployment of cool surfaces. We have also researched heat action plans and programs from cities and different codes and standards, as well as available incentive and rebate programs.
The review identifies challenges, barriers, and opportunities associated with large-scale deployment of cool surfaces and categorizes them broadly as being related to product development & performance or policies & mandates. It provides a foundation upon which we intend to build a roadmap for rapidly accelerating future deployments of cool surfaces. This roadmap will address identified challenges and incorporate lessons learned from historical efforts to generate a practical and actionable plan.
Details
- A review of challenges, barriers, and opportunities for large-scale deployment of cool surfaces
- Alhazmi, Mansour (Author)
- Sailor, David (Author)
- Levinson, Ronnen (Author)
- This research was supported by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231, opens in a new window.Note typefunding
- Author submitted pre-publication version of article submitted (and accepted) for publication in Energy Policy. Published Version can be accessed at: Alhazmi, M., Sailor, D. J., & Levinson, R. (2023). A review of challenges, barriers, and opportunities for large-scale deployment of cool surfaces. Energy Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113657, opens in a new windowNote typeversion identification
- Acknowledgement: The authors thank Cool Surface Manhattan Project team members Andre Desjarlais (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), Sarah Schneider (Cool Roof Rating Council), Haley Gilbert (contractor to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), and Jackson Becce (Smart Surfaces Coalition) for their valuable feedback.
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This is a suggested citation. Consult the appropriate style guide for specific citation guidelines.
Alhazmi, M., Sailor, D. J., & Levinson, R. (2023). A review of challenges, barriers, and opportunities for large-scale deployment of cool surfaces. ASU Scholarship Showcase.
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.187989
Statement of Responsibility
David J. Sailor: Methodology, Writing – review & editing.
Ronnen Levinson: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Writing – review & editing, Supervision.