The Urban Heat Island Effect: for those who are unfamiliar, this may not sound like a negative phenomenon. Metropolitan areas tend to be warmer than surrounding rural areas, which could be great in the winter, but can be a serious problem in the summer not to mention having year round environmental effects. Low levels of vegetation and extreme levels of hard, often dark surfaces causes the heat of the sun to be absorbed and re-radiated to create uncomfortably hot surface and air temperatures. NASA warns that the effects of urban heat islands could affect the entire world resulting in a shift in rainfall, storm fronts, coastal floods, melting glaciers, droughts and increase in infectious diseases. Green roofs are one way to combat this problem, but that leaves many surfaces untouched.

Cool Pavement. Designed by Emerald Cities.

Emerald Cities recently released “Cool Pavement” which is a green asphalt coating that has been proven to cool the surface heat of asphalt 30°- 50°(F) on summer days. The product was recently applied at a school in Phoenix, AZ as part of a “Cool Schools” initiative. The program aims to reduce the urban heat island effect in inner city schools where children are most susceptible to heat stroke due to the density of hot asphalt, car exhaust and poor air quality
due to lack of vegetation.

Emerald Cities developed the product after 2 years of research and development. The “cool coating” is a nano-engineered solar reflective coating that reduces the surface heat of asphalt. The product comes in several shades of grey, and can be applied to asphalt without asphalt milling. Cool Pavement is sustainable for its thermal properties as well as for its ability to extend the life of existing asphalt. It is non-delaminating and impervious to UV.

About the Manufacturer: Emerald Cities™ International, Ltd. established a US division to develop Emerald Cool Coatings to mitigate Urban Heat Island effects of cities throughout the World. With an initial investment of $250K in R&D, founding management has completed the research on a Solar Reflective coatings and materials science for inner cities applications to cool parking lots, crosswalks, bike lanes, school yards, tarmac and other high temperature surfaces. The product has been tested by Federal, State and University-based centers of excellence and is now ready for market entry.