September 24, 2008—California scientists recently announced a formula to calculate how much carbon dioxide (CO2) can be offset by increasing the reflectivity of urban surfaces like rooftops. The news was announced at the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Fifth Annual Climate Change Research Conference.
“White roofs can cut a building’s energy use by 20 percent and save consumers money,” says California Energy Commissioner Art Rosenfeld. “The potential energy savings in the US is in excess of $1 billion annually. Additionally, by conserving electricity we are emitting less CO2 from power plants.”
In a study to be published in the scientific journal Climatic Change, Rosenfeld and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) scientists Hashem Akbari and Surabi Menon estimate that replacing nonreflective, dark roofing materials with white ones on an average house with 1,000 square feet of roof would result in an equivalent CO2 offset of 10 metric tons annually. With an offset value of $25 per metric ton, that could be worth $250, according to European CO2 markets.
A copy of the LBNL Research Highlights (.pdf file) of the journal article is available for download from the CA Energy Commission Web site.
