How Car Colors Influence Urban Heat Dynamics

Quick Summary:

• Study findings: Dark-coloured cars can significantly increase surrounding air temperatures in urban areas due to their heat absorption and emission properties, which contribute to urban heat island effects.
• Measurements: Researchers found black cars raised local air temperature by up to 3.8°C compared to asphalt on a sunny day with 36°C temperatures. White cars had less impact,reflecting 75-85% of sunlight versus black paint’s 5-10%.
• Broader impact: The collective effect of dark-coloured parked vehicles may intensify heat stress for pedestrians and elevate street-level temperatures across cities.
• Potential mitigation: repainting dark vehicles lighter could improve street ‘reflectance’ and reduce urban heating effects. Example: In Lisbon, this change could increase reflectance from 20% to nearly 40% in certain areas.
• Policy recommendations: Municipal fleets,taxis,delivery vehicles,and other large groups of parked cars are prime candidates for adopting light-colored paints as a cooling strategy.

Image:
!campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utmsource=NSNS&utmmedium=RSS&utm_content=home”>Read More