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Cool-Colored Roof Materials Display Present at San Jose Green Vision Unveiling

December 6, 2010

Cool-colored roofing materials, developed by researchers at the Environmental Energy Technologies Division, are showcased at a new outdoor display of green technologies just opened in the city of San José just across the street from City Hall.

The San José Green Vision Green Energy Showcase kicked off on Wednesday with a ceremony attended by San José Mayor Chuck Reed, Vipin Gupta, a Technical Assistance lead for the Department of Energy Solar America Cities program, Council Member Sam Liccardo, and John Stufflebean, Director of the San José Environmental Service Department.

Haley Gilbert, a researcher in the EETD Urban Heat Islands Group who developed the cool-colored roofing content, Oren Schetrit, a researcher in the EETD Building Technologies Department who designed the display, and EETD Program Manager Douglas Davenport, attended the event, and discussed the Berkeley Lab technologies with event participants.

Cool roofs save energy, improve air quality and slow global warming. Cool roofs are white or colored roofs that reflect more sunlight than traditional roofs. White roofs are coolest, but special "cool-colored" roofs can offer about half the benefits of a white roof. The display showcases white roofs as well as new cool dark roofs that look like traditional dark roofs but reflect invisible "near-infrared" sunlight, keeping homes and the outside air cooler.

The Showcase is described as a "as a knowledge hub for visitors from across the Silicon Valley, providing hands-on education, experience and information on solar, wind and energy efficiency technologies enabling the community's participation in San José's Green Vision." Its outdoor display area includes renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies from a number of private-sector companies, as well as displays explaining how city agencies are implementing sustainable technologies in their workplaces.

Gilbert adds, "we want to convey a special thank you for all of the assistance from Berkeley Lab staff Warren Elliot, Gerald Martin, and Rich Doty of the Facilities Division, who fabricated the display, and Jonathan Slack, EETD Building Technologies Department, Robert Rigonan, EETD Heat Island Group, Anthony Ma, EETD Communications Office, and Flavio Robles, Public Affairs Office, who contributed to content design and development."