What are Cool Pavements?

Roughly one-third of a typical city’s surface area is paved (Akbari and Rose). Many paved streets and parking lots use dark materials that absorb 80-95% of sunlight and warm our cities (LBNL Heat Island Group). Cool pavements, like cool roofs and cool exterior walls, are materials that efficiently reflect sunlight (solar energy) and cool themselves by emitting any heat that is absorbed. The pavement surface stays cooler, which may help mitigate the urban heat island effect or reduce the need for air conditioning.

The two basic characteristics that determine the "coolness" of a pavement material are solar reflectance and thermal emittance. Both properties are measured on a scale from 0 to 1, where 1 is 100% reflective or emissive.

Benefits of Cool Pavements

Cool pavements can lower surface temperatures by 10-12°F and contribute to cooler air temperatures when deployed at scale (City of Phoenix).

Lower outdoor air temperatures allow air conditioners to cool buildings more efficiently (LBNL Heat Island Group). This helps address air pollution and global warming concerns by lowering CO2 and other emissions associated with fossil fuel-generated electricity used for air-conditioning.

Reduce the urban heat island effect by reflecting solar radiation back to the atmosphere. An urban heat island occurs when a city is hotter than the surrounding rural areas due to dark surfaces, like roofs and roads, that absorb heat from the sun and have less shade trees and vegetation.

Pavements with cooler surfaces undergo less thermal expansion, leading to a longer service life than traditional dark pavements (Pomerantz, Akbari & Harvey 2000).

Cool pavements reflect more light than non-reflective pavement materials, increasing visibility and driver safety and reducing the need for street lighting at night by more than 30% (LBNL Heat Island Group).

Cool Pavement Resources & Programs

Cool Pavement Resources

Cool Pavement Programs and Projects

Cool Pavement Research

Knowledge Base

The Cool Surfaces Knowledge Base catalogues over 600 publications about cool surfaces and related topics, including peer reviewed research, government reports, case studies, and more.

EXPLORE THE KNOWLEDGE BASE