Direct and indirect savings: Magnitudes and implementation policies
A "Cool Communities" strategy of lighter-colored reroofs and resurfaced pavements and shade trees can directly lower annual air conditioning bills in Los Angeles by 200M, cool the Basin by 3C°, save indirectly 160M more in air conditioning, and reduce smog by ~ 10%, worth another 360M, for a total savings of 0.7B. To implement these savings, we call for ratings and labels for cool materials, building performance standards, utility programs, and an extension of the RECLAIM smog offset trading market to include credit for cool surfaces and trees. Generalized to the US, total annual savings will be ~10B. Many more utilities can participate, and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) can include cool materials and trees in its proposed regional "open market smog offset trading credits."
- Research Organization:
- Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta, GA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 416168
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511214-; ON: DE96011051; TRN: 96:006564-0006
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Designing for the global environment, Atlanta, GA (United States), 2-3 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Designing for the global environment; PB: 176 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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