EPA and Arizona State Tackle Urban Heat Islands
AEN News
Washington - Innovative, renewable technology to help mitigate urban
heat islands and lower energy consumption is the focus of research
at the new National Center of Excellence on SMART Innovations for
Urban Climate and Energy. The center, located at Arizona State
University (ASU), seeks to develop a new generation of
sustainable materials and renewable technology innovations
(SMART Innovations), with funding support from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
"Constructing our cities with sustainable materials and renewable
technologies helps keep them cool and provide cost-effective
health, energy, air and water quality benefits," said EPA's
Acting Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum. "This National
Center is a good example of EPA's commitment to innovative,
integrated environmental solutions."
The new center brings together leading researchers and government
and industry representatives to find solutions that have a
sound scientific, economic and operational basis to address
ways to relieve urban heat islands and lower energy use — a
growing concern for many U.S. cities.
The "urban heat island effect" describes a condition of abnormally
elevated temperatures that urban areas experience compared to
more rural surroundings. During the summer, higher surface
and air temperatures caused by human built structures can
increase discomfort and risk human health. It also can raise
air-conditioning use, risk power outages due to peak
electricity demands, worsen air quality by promoting
ground-level ozone formation, and impair water quality
by heating storm water runoff, causing thermal shock
for aquatic life.
"New, sustainable materials for urban development are key
components for the cities of the future," said Arizona State
University President Michael M. Crow. "Developing these
materials is an important part of assuring that our cities
are not only thriving places of commerce and intellectual
advancement, but that they also lead the way in demonstrating
how we can be better stewards of the land and our resources
by mitigating the environmental and health effects
typically associated with sprawling urban areas. The
new National Center for Excellence on SMART
Innovations will play a significant role in this
endeavor and in ASU's efforts in advancing sustainability
research worldwide."
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