Reduce Heat Islands
What are Heat Islands?
Heat Islands are a growing concern. This phenomenon describes urban and suburban temperatures that are 2 to 10°F hotter than nearby rural areas.
What are the Sustainability Benefits?
Given the elevated temperatures, heat islands can impact communities by increasing peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution levels, and heat-related illness and mortality. The benefits of reducing heat islands include:
- Energy Savings
- Reduced Heat-Related Illnesses
- Reduced Ozone Impact
Potential Strategies for Implementation
There are a number of steps that communities can take to lessen the impacts of heat islands. These strategies include:
- Installing "Cool" Roofs;
- Installing Vegetated Green Roofs;
- Planting Trees and Vegetation; and
- Switching to Cool Paving Materials.
Desired Regional End-State
The desired regional end-state is the implementation of policies and programs to reduce the impact of heat islands.
Measures of Progress/Metrics
The following factors are directly affected by decision makers and are effective measures of progress:
- Materials used in road and building construction
- Land-Use Patterns
- Coverage of Trees and Vegetation in Urban Areas
Available Technologies
Cool Roof
There are two types of "cool" roofs--those used on low-slope or flat buildings (primarily commercial) and those used on steep-sloped buildings (primarily residential). Most cool roof applications for low-slope buildings have a smooth, bright white surface to reflect solar radiation, reduce heat transfer to the interior, and reduce summertime air conditioning demand. Most cool roof applications for steep-slope buildings come in various colors and can use special pigments to reflect the sun's energy. Several vendors of cool roof applications include:
ALDO Products Company, Inc.
Product--Elastomeric Roof Coatings
1604 N. Main St.
Kannapolis, NC 28081
Ph. (704) 932-3054
Sealoflex, Inc.
Product–Sealoflex Waterproofing System
2516 Oscar Johnson Dr.
Charleston, SC 29405
Ph. (800) 770-6466
Green Roofs
Another alternative to traditional roofing materials is a rooftop garden or "green roof." Green roofs replace heat-absorbing surfaces with plants, shrubs, and small trees. They reduce summertime air conditioning demand by lowering heat gain to the building. Several vendors of green roofs include:
American Wick Drain Corporation
Product-Roof Garden System
1209 Airport Rd.
Monroe, NC 28110
Ph. (800) 242-9425
Building Logics, Inc.
Product – EnviroTech Roof System
3213 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA
Ph. (757) 431-3170
Carlisle SynTec Incorporated
Product – Green Roof Systems
P.O. Box 7000
Carlisle, PA 17013
Ph. (800) 479-6832
GreenTech, Inc.
Product-GreenTech Roof Garden System
470 Clubfield Dr.
Roswell, GA 30075
Ph. (804) 363-5048
Roofscapes, Inc.
Product – Roofmeadow
7114 McCallum St.
Philadelphia, PA 19119
Ph. (215) 247-8784
info@roofmeadow.com
TREES AND VEGETATION
Increasing the cover of trees and vegetation is a simple and effective way to reduce heat islands. Trees provide a variety of benefits, from increasing property value to reducing storm water runoff to reducing energy consumption. Several North Carolina vendors of native species include:
Carolina Native Nursery
Product – Native Shrubs and Trees
1124 Prices Creek Rd.
Burnsville, NC 28714
Ph. (828) 682-1471
Bill@carolinanativenursery.com
Green Biz Nursery & Landscaping, Inc.
Product – Plants and Landscaping
P.O. Box 65059
Fayetteville, NC 28306
Ph. (910) 323-8811
Ernst Conservation Seeds
Product – Native Seeds and Plants
9006 Mercer Pike
Meadville, PA 16335
Ph. (800) 873-3321
COOL PAVING MATERIALS
There are two types of cool paving materials: lighter-colored materials and porous materials. Lighter-colored materials have higher solar reflectance so they stay cooler. Permeable, or porous, pavements allow water to filter into the ground, keeping the pavement cool when moist. Several vendors of cool paving materials include:
Dare Concrete, Inc.
Product – Porous Paving
607 W. Durham St.
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
Ph. (252) 480-9223
Hanover Architectural Products
Product – Ecogrid Porous Pavers
240 Bender Rd.
Hanover, PA 17331
Ph. (800) 426-4242
Nicolock
Product – Paving Stones
640 Muncy Ave.
Lindenhurst, NY 11757
Ph. (800) 669-9294
Oldcastle Architectural Products Group
Product – Paving Products
375 Northridge Rd., Ste. 250
Atlanta, GA 30350
Ph. (800) 899-8455