Most people who live in the city are aware of the concept of the urban heat island. On a regular sunny day, the heat that most city dwellers experience is twice as much as those in the surrounding countryside. That’s because the dark asphalt on the roads and the concretes in all parts of the city tend to absorb the sun’s heat. In addition, it reflects all the heat into the streets, which intensify the heat even more.
As the weather becomes warmer, people should expect the heat and humidity to rise even higher. It also means that the cities are in danger because of a few fatal health issues. But, is there a way to control the urban heat island effect?
How light materials can help increase the reflectivity of the city
Using lighter-colored materials on buildings reduce the heat island effect by two degrees Celsius. That’s because these materials tend to increase the reflectivity of the city against the heat of the sun, causing less heat to get stored. Once the temperature lowers, establishments won’t have to use as much energy to cool its interior. It can result in lower energy consumption and more significant savings. Furthermore, it also helps increase air quality inside the establishment. It even reduces the use of heavy machinery that produces heat, too.
Cool roofs and their effects on the city
Another way is to use reflective, cool roofs in urban areas to bring the temperatures in cities down. It helps regulate the heat and reduce the risk of urban health fatality in the future. Climate change and the increasing demand for urbanization is putting everyone at risk. An increase in temperature only heats the city even more, which could put the people living in it in danger. As people turn most of the land areas and wetlands into urban areas, they no longer have any means to deflect the heat coming from the sun. Urban surfaces such as roads and the paved regions only absorb the heat and keep it, which affects the vegetation inside the city.
The term cool roofs refer to a roofing product that helps reflect the sunlight; thereby, reducing the local temperatures in the area. Applying it to radius roofing in Utah could lower the temperature in urban areas. It could help lower energy consumption, too. During heat waves, using cool roofs could reduce the daytime air temperature by at least 0.5 degrees. It could even go up to three degrees on average. The reduction in temperature can vary depending on the type of buildings.
The kind of cool roof applied also affects temperature reduction. If the city government targets the industrial and commercial establishments alone, they could decrease the heatwave periods. Applying cool roofs to your home or your establishment not only helps you save money, but it also helps the surroundings as well. Apart from using cool roofs, you can also consider green roofs as an alternative. Green roofs are surfaces covered in plants to help reduce the temperature inside.
