Ronnen Levinson, Heat Island Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

This summer brings opportunities to help spread the word about the benefits of cool roofs and walls and demonstrate them where they are most needed by participating in a new project sponsored by the US Department of Energy. 

Motivation

Solar-reflective roofs and walls can be especially helpful in disadvantaged communities that often have poorly insulated older homes, aging or absent air conditioning units, steep utility bills, polluted air, and high vulnerability and exposure to extreme heat. With support from DOE’s Building Technologies Office, the US Cool Surfaces Deployment Project (formerly the Cool Surfaces Manhattan Project) seeks to dramatically increase the climate-appropriate deployment of cool surfaces across the United States with an emphasis on their application to disadvantaged communities.

History

In 2023, the project team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Arizona State University, Smart Surfaces Coalition, and Cool Roof Rating Council published a plan with 19 ideas to accelerate the national uptake of cool roofs and walls. In 2024, the project focuses on three activities: (1) providing technical assistance to local, state, and federal government agencies; (2) educating the public, building professionals, and policymakers about the benefits of cool surfaces; and (3) designing high-profile demonstration in disadvantaged communities, especially those located in mixed-climate regions without a history of using cool roofs and walls.

Education Campaign

The US Cool Surfaces Deployment Project just launched Keep Your Cool, an education campaign promoting the climate-appropriate use of cool roofs and walls as no-regret choices whose benefits will grow as the nation warms. With help from over 30 stakeholders, including roof and wall product manufacturers and industry associations, building professionals, utilities, government agencies, and non-profit environmental groups, as well as the CRRC Education Committee, the campaign’s website offers free educational content that anyone can share, including social media-friendly messages, graphics, and videos, as well as deeper resources such as fact sheets, guidelines, and case studies. More than two dozen organizations will help distribute these materials to their members, their customers, and the general public.

How to Join or Learn More

If you would like to join the education campaign or demonstrations, please complete this short form. To learn more about the US Cool Surfaces Deployment Project, please visit https://CoolSurfaces.LBL.gov or contact Ronnen Levinson <RMLevinson@LBL.gov> and Iona Isachsen <i.isachsen@smartsurfacescoalition.org>.