Cool Surfaces and Shade Trees Reduce Energy Use and Improve Urban Air Quality

Hashem Akbari
Environmental Energy Technologies Division
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory




Abstract:


Cool roofs, cool pavement, and shade trees reduce summertime air conditioning cool energy use in buildings. They also modify the urban surface heat balance and hence reduce the hot ambient temperature. In this seminar, we will briefly review these urban heat-island mitigation technologies and introduces thoughts for development of local implementation policies.


BIO:
Dr. Hashem Akbari is a Group Leader, Staff Scientist, and principal investigator in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He has obtained his Ph.D. in engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He is the leader of the Heat Island Group and has led LBNL's efforts to investigate the energy conservation potential and environmental impacts of increased tree planting and modifications of surface reflectance. Development of cool colored roofing materials is a one of the current major activities of his group. Dr. Akbari is the author of more than 200 articles and coauthor of three books.