Explanatory Data

White Roofing and Urban Temperatures: http://whiteroofproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Academic-White-Roofs-Urban

EPA Heat Island Reduction Program, 2009 Presentation: http://whiteroofproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CRRC_US_EPA_presentation.pdf

Mitigation

Reducing Urban Heat Islands, a compendium of strategies from the EPA: http://www.globalcoolcities.org/?page_id=33

Using the Los Angeles basin as a model, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory made some projections based on the conversion of 15% of dark surfaces to cool surfaces. In this model, summer temperatures dropped 6°F (heatisland.lbl.gov/LEARN/LAIsland/).  This matters for both smog and energy use reduction.

In Los Angeles “…peak power rises 3% for every 0.5°F rise in daily maximum temperature…about 1-1.5 gigawatts of power are used to compensate the impact of the heat island… costing the Los Angeles ratepayers about $100,000 per hour, about $100 million per year” (heatisland.lbl.gov/LEARN/LAIsland/).

New York City Specific

Snapshot of the New York City Department of Design and Construction’s Cool and Green Roofing Manual:
http://whiteroofproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Snapshot-DDD-NYC-roofing.pdf (This excerpt only includes only the section on white roofing.)

Sustainable South Bronx, Cool Surfaces Combat NYC pollution: http://www.ewire.com/news-releases/scientists-sustainable-south-bronx–cool-surfaces-can-combat-nyc-pollution-save-energy-improve-health–green-collar-jobs-needed/

The full report is available through the SSBx website: http://www.ssbx.org

New York City’s new white roofing legislation and building codes: http://whiteroofproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/NYC-Cool-Roof-Legislation-Local-Law-21.pdf