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Cool Roofs

When sunlight hits a roof, some of it is absorbed by the roof, and some of it is reflected. A traditional dark-coloured roof absorbs the solar energy strongly and heats up, and a portion of that heat is transmitted into the building. A cool roof has a white or special cool colour that absorbs less sunlight, staying cooler in the sun and transmitting less heat into a building. This reduces the need for air conditioning in the building: in a hot climate, a cool roof can reduce air conditioning energy use by as much as 15%. For buildings without air conditioning, a cool roof can improve comfort and prevent the need to install an air conditioning system.

In addition to their energy benefits, cool roofs can mitigate the urban heat island effect. This can keep cities cool, reducing pollution and improving urban comfort. Studies also show that cool roofs may offset the effects of as much as 44 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which could slow global warming. Listed here are several cool roofs resources that might interest policymakers.

Fact Sheets and Manuals

Websites, Reports and Other Tools

Resources CESC

Sectors-cesc
Resources countries

Publication

2018 CARICOM Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code

The document is an adaptation of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code. It is meant to specifically…

Sources:

International Code Council

CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ)

ASHRAE

CARICOM Secretariat Energy Unit

Date:

1 February 2019

Publication

Advancing Gender Equality in the Environment: Making the Case for Gender Equality in Large-Scale Renewable Energy Infrastructure Development

This brief provides an overview of the gender dimensions of planning and building large-scale renewable energy infrastructure, such as hydropower…

Sources:

United States Agency International Develpment

Date:

1 May 2018

Deployment Data

Publication

Tools and Websites

Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (Website)

The Asia Pacific Partnership (APP) on Clean Development and Climate Website enables users to view current and past APP clean…

Sources:

Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate

Publication

Tools and Websites

Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy (Website)

Ashden champions and promotes practical, local energy solutions that cut carbon, protect the environment, reduce poverty, and improve people’s lives.…

Sources:

Ashden

Deployment Data

Policy Data

Publication

Tools and Websites

Berkeley India Joint Leadership on Energy and the Environment (Website)

This is the website of the Berkeley India Joint Leadership on Energy and the Environment (BIJLEE), which is a partnership…

Sources:

University of California

Berkeley

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Policy Data

Publication

Tools and Websites

BRIC'd Up Energy Efficiency: Energy and Climate Policies in Brazil, Russia, India, and China

The authors of this document identify focus areas for evolving energy efficiency efforts by examining Brazil, Russia, India, and China…

Sources:

ICF International

Publication

Tools and Websites

Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) (Website)

The Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) provides custom-tailored assistance on building energy code adoption and implementation. It assists state and…

Sources:

Building Codes Assistance Project

Publication

Tools and Websites

BUILD UP: The European portal for energy efficiency in buildings (Website)

This website serves as a forum for the exchange of best working practices and knowledge and the transfer of tools…

Sources:

European Union

Publication

Tools and Websites

Building Technologies Program (Website)

This website provides information and resources for industry professionals to help reduce the energy use of new and existing buildings.…

Sources:

United States Department of Energy

Tools and Websites

Building Energy Software Tools Directory

This directory provides information on hundreds of building software tools for evaluating energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability in buildings.…

Sources:

United States Department of Energy

Policy Data

Publication

Tools and Websites

Building Energy Efficiency Policies (BEEP) Database

This database is intended to be a comprehensive collection of building energy efficiency policies from select countries around the world.…

Sources:

International Energy Agency (IEA)

Publication

Tools and Websites

Building Energy Efficiency Codes in Russia and Kazakhstan

This project seeks to improve compliance with new building energy codes, provide training and resources to enable designers to further…

Sources:

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership

Publication

Tools and Websites

Building Energy Codes Program (Website)

This website provides resources and tools to support codes and standards developed by the U.S. Department of Energy in response…

Sources:

United States Department of Energy

Tools and Websites

Bureau of Energy Efficiency Standard & Labeling (India) (Website)

This website provides information to Indian citizens on energy efficiency schemes currently in place in India. These schemes include efforts…

Sources:

Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency

Publication

Training Materials

Building Technologies Program Webinar Archives

This website provides a compilation of U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Program webinars. The webinars discuss both residential and…

Sources:

United States Department of Energy

Publication

Charge Without a Cause? Assessing Electric Utility Demand Charges on Small Consumers, Electricity Rate Design Review Paper No. 1

The goal of this document is to unpack the key elements of demand charges and explore their effect on fairness,…

Sources:

Solar Energy Industries Association

Deployment Data

Publication

Tools and Websites

Center for Clean Air Policy: Worldwide Climate Programs (Website)

This Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) website provides a complete picture of current and ongoing CCAP climate programmes and…

Sources:

Center for Clean Air Policy

Deployment Data

Publication

China Energy Group Buildings and Construction (Website)

This website and related publications address building energy use in China and the development of building energy codes.

Sources:

United States Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory