Cool roofs in China offer enhanced benefits during heat waves

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-12/dbnl-cri122215.php

Public Release: 22-Dec-2015
Cool roofs in China offer enhanced benefits during heat waves
New Berkeley Lab study uses regional climate model to compare heat waves to normal summer conditions
DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

It is well established that white roofs can help mitigate the urban heat island effect, reflecting the sun's energy back into space and reducing a city's temperature under normal weather conditions. In a new study of Guangzhou, China, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) researchers working with Chinese scientists found that during a heat wave, the effect is significantly more pronounced.

Using a regional climate model combined with an urban model that allowed researchers to adjust roof reflectance, they found that the average urban midday temperature was lowered by 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) during heat waves, or 50 percent more than the 0.8 degrees Celsius reduction for typical summer conditions.

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