NYC Cool Roofs is an initiative to mobilize volunteers to coat the rooftops of participating buildings with reflective, white coating.
This will help reduce cooling costs, energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions to help the City meet the goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030, which is the primary goal of PlaNYC.
Since most New York City roofs are dark or black in color, they retain the sun’s rays as heat, increasing summer roof temperatures and energy demand. Dark roofs also contribute to the “urban heat island effect”, a phenomenon where the city can be 6 to 8 degrees warmer than surrounding suburban areas.
Coating all eligible dark rooftops in New York City could result in up to a 1 degree reduction of New York City’s ambient air temperature.