6 Causes of Urban Heat Islands and 4 Ways to Offset Them

July 10, 2019

 
Janelle Penny

Urban heat islands are frequently cited as a reason to install a cool roof, but the
heat island effect is actually caused by a number of other factors in addition to
dark-colored roofs. Reflective roof surfaces can play a key role in reducing the
heat island effect, but a multifaceted approach that accounts for other contributing
factors will go furthest toward reducing the impact on your building.

This is how urban heat islands are created—and what you can do about it.
6 Things that Create Urban Heat Islands

The urban heat island phenomenon “exists in areas with a lot of densely placed

buildings and paved surfaces that absorb heat from the sun, causing the area to be
several degrees hotter than rural or surrounding areas,” explain Jeff Steuben,
executive director of the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC), and Sarah Schneider,
CRRC’s deputy director.

The resulting rise in outside air and surface temperatures creates hotter indoor air
temperatures, which could make your occupants uncomfortable, stress your HVAC
system with extra demand and increase your energy bills.

Some of the factors that contribute to heat island formation include:

1. Paved and impermeable surfaces.

“Paved over surfaces, such as roads and parking lots, can absorb solar radiation as
heat,” explain Steuben and Schneider. “Additionally, these surfaces are typically
impermeable, which means that water runoff is redirected to the storm water
system rather than being absorbed by plants or water bodies that help cool the area
through evapotranspiration and evaporation.”
2. Dark surfaces.

Dark roofs absorb more energy into the building as heat, hence the boom in cool
roof adoption. But it’s not just roofs absorbing the heat—blacktop absorbs the sun
just as well, and neither surface reflects much solar radiation, so they get hotter
than lighter-colored surfaces.

3. Thermal mass.

“Buildings contain a lot of thermal mass, which means they store a lot of heat
during the day and are slow to release the heat overnight,” Steuben and Schneider
say.

4. Lack of vegetation.

“Plants and trees create shade and cool the air through evapotranspiration,” explain
Steuben and Schneider. But areas that are dominated by paved surfaces have little
room for green space.

5. Waste heat.

Mechanical air conditioning exhausts heat into the environment around the
building, directly adding to the problem.
6. Changing climate.

Steuben and Schneider cite the more extreme heat waves in urban areas, especially
ones in northern regions, as a factor that contributes to urban heat island formation.
Urban heat islands also exacerbate the changes in the climate, so the problem feeds
on itself.

4 Ways to Offset the Heat Island Effect

Local tracking of urban heat islands is typically done by cities or community

organizations, Steuben and Schneider explain. But there are still plenty of actions
building owners can take to reduce their individual contribution to the
phenomenon.

What You Can Do to Reduce Heat

Islands
Related Links
Follow the tips below to help reduce the heat island effect and improve your
community’s resilience to heat waves.

1. Increase shade around your home

Planting trees and other vegetation lowers surface and air temperatures by
providing shade and cooling through evapotranspiration. Trees and
vegetation that directly shade your home can decrease the need for air
conditioning, making your home more comfortable and reducing your energy
bill. Trees also protect your family’s health by improving air quality, by
providing cooling shade for outdoor activities, and reducing exposure to
harmful UV radiation.

2. Install green roofs

A green roof, or rooftop garden, is a vegetative layer grown on a rooftop.
Green roofs provide shade and remove heat from the air through
evapotranspiration, reducing temperatures of the roof surface and the
surrounding air. Green roofs absorb heat and act as insulators for your home,
reducing energy needed to provide cooling and heating (which decreases
your energy bill), improving indoor comfort, and lowering heat stress
associated with heat waves.

3. Install cool roofs

 Cool (or reflective) roofs help to reflect sunlight and heat away from your
home, reducing roof temperatures. This allows for your home to stay cooler,
reducing the amount of air conditioning needed during hot days. According to
a study conducted in California1,cool roofs can provide annual energy savings
of almost 50 cents per square foot. Such energy savings can also result in
better air quality in your community and fewer greenhouse gases emitted to
the atmosphere.

4. Use energy-efficient appliances and equipment

Using efficient appliances and equipment in your home can help to lighten the
load on the electric grid during heat waves, thus ensuring a more reliable
supply of electricity to your community. When purchasing products, look for
EPA’s ENERGY STAR label to help you make the most energy-efficient
decision. You can find the ENERGY STAR label on more than 60 kinds of
products, including appliances, lighting, heating and cooling equipment,
electronics, and office equipment. Replacing your old appliances and
equipment with ENERGY STAR-qualified products can also help save you
money.

5. Check on your friends, family, and neighbors

Heat waves can be dangerous for people’s health and safety, particularly for
the elderly, young, sick, and poor. Checking on your friends, family, and
neighbors during hot days and making sure they have access to air
conditioning or cooling centers will help to prevent heat-related illnesses and
death.