Research indicates that most American cities will experience up to five or 10 times as many excessively hot (90+ degrees Fahrenheit) days within a few decades.
To help reduce urban heat, 22 U.S. organizations have launched the Smart Surfaces Coalition. The group’s aim is to help cities to understand how to use advanced surface technologies to reduce heat and prevent flooding.
U.S. cities can cut excess heat days by half, save $700 billion, and create 270,000 new jobs by deploying smart surfaces, according to a news release from the U.S. Green Building Council. “Rapidly rising temperatures are already costing consumers and companies billions in higher energy and health care costs, and making American communities less livable and healthy,” the release says.
Smart surface technologies allow cities to better manage sun radiation and storm water runoff through:
— Cool roofs and pavements that reflect away (instead of absorbing) sunlight—cutting temperatures and smog
— Green roofs and trees that provide shade and reduce flood risk
— Solar PV that converts sunshine into electricity and provides shade
— Porous pavements, sidewalks, and roads that reduce water runoff and flooding and cut the cost of managing storm water
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2020
Dept. of Defense will require beefed up cybersecurity standards in January
All contractors will have to demonstrate secure practices.
Codes and Standards | Jan 8, 2020
2019 Oregon Zero Energy Ready commercial code will boost efficiency by 14%
ASHRAE 90.1 is the basis for new code that went into effect Oct. 1.
Codes and Standards | Jan 8, 2020
Energy efficiency initiatives have significantly cut energy consumption per square foot
Lighting and space heating fell by more than 600 trillion Btu from 2003 to 2012.
Building Technology | Jan 7, 2020
Tariff whiplash for bifacial solar modules
Bifacial solar systems offer many advantages over traditional systems.
Codes and Standards | Jan 7, 2020
New certification program for rigid core luxury vinyl tile
ASSURE CERTIFIED to establish industry-wide quality standards.
Codes and Standards | Jan 7, 2020
Boston’s beefed up wetlands ordinance will limit development
Conservation commission must consider future climate impacts when assessing new projects.
Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2020
States pick up the slack in efficiency policy as federal government lags
With climate change deniers setting policy in Trump Administration, progress continues in statehouses.
Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2020
OSHA plans multiple revisions to rules impacting construction industry in 2020
Cranes and derricks, welding in confined spaces, beryllium exposure, and more on docket.
Codes and Standards | Jan 3, 2020
Labor supply and capability of workers worry contractors
Three out of four firms plan to add workers in 2020.
Codes and Standards | Jan 3, 2020
Car-free streets could become common in major cities
New York and San Francisco establish thoroughfares dedicated to transit, pedestrians.