The energy efficiency of a building is directly related to the heat transfer between the building and the outside environment. In order to limit the heat transfer to the building by solar radiation cool roofs have been developed which increase the solar reflectivity of roofs. This report investigates the potential application of high reflectivity coatings to roofs at Pomona College and the energy benefits that could result. Cool roofs are used to address two prevalent environmental concerns: high cooling loads and Urban Heat Islands. These two problems are linked and exhibit the potential micro and mesoscale benefits of reducing roof surface temperature. Cool roofs are part of a larger set of solutions to tackle these two issues and so must be considered in the context of the multitude of other mitigation measures. This report discusses the ways in which a cool roof affects a building envelope and Urban Heat Islands, and what this means in the context of Southern California and Pomona College. Due to the already energy efficient clay tile on most Pomona roofs, the gains from reflective coatings would be limited. However there are several flat roofs on campus that could benefit from the application of a reflective coating. These benefits would come in the form of cooling energy cost reduction to individual buildings. These benefits would not be so drastic as to necessitate immediately applying reflective coatings, but flat roofs should be updated with an energy efficient coating as part of regularly scheduled resurfacing

In this study, we examined the effect of cool roofs on commercial and residential buildings in each climate zone, by looking at monitored case studies and DOE-2 simulations from various sources of literature; and using an online tool - the Cool Roof Calculator and a simple COP ratio model to validate the results of the case studies. It was found that the Cool Roof Calculator does not take building form into account, hence a sensitivity analysis was first conducted to rank the importance of various building parameters against one another. The analysis was conducted on the EPC normative building energy model. Results indicated that roof absorptance coefficient, aspect ratio and number of floors were the three parameters that either ranked highest or were important parameters, and were chosen for further parametric analysis to evaluate the impact of these building parameters on total building loads. A simple COP ratio model was also developed to validate the results from the literature review and Cool Roof Calculator, and it was found that in terms of cost, for a prototype medium-sized commercial building, it is always beneficial to use a white roof, but cities in northern climates may have little advantage, and insulation may be a better choice.

Human interference with the Earth’s climate, through the release of greenhouse gasses (GHGs), is estimated to have already increased average statewide temperatures in California by 1.7° Fahrenheit (F), with a further 2.7°F of warming expected by mid-century. The negative impacts of increased temperatures may be especially acute in mid-latitude cities that currently enjoy a mild climate, such as Los Angeles (LA), which are projected to warm to a point that will significantly affect human health and well being. The built environment increases urban temperatures through building materials that readily absorb heat from the sun, a lack of vegetation, a lack of pervious surface area, and anthropogenic heat. Local governments can take action to help their cities adapt to future temperatures through changes to building materials, urban design and infrastructure. This study evaluates six urban design strategies for reducing temperatures and therefore adapting to increased heat in LA: cool roofs, cool pavements, solar panels, tree planting, structural shading and green roofs. The methods used in this analysis include a cost-effectiveness analysis, key stakeholder interviews, and case studies from other cities in the US. Findings indicate that cool roofs are the most cost-effective strategy for urban heat island mitigation, with cool pavements and tree planting also cost-effective. Findings from stakeholder interviews indicate that political feasibility is high for all strategies except structural shading, which was thought to be costly and difficult to implement. However, significant political barriers were also identified for tree planting and green roofs. Findings from four case studies indicate that climate adaptation policies should emphasize co-benefits, include flexible design standards, and provide financial or performance-based incentives for property owners or developers. Specific recommendations for implementing climate adaptation measures are provided for urban planners, policy makers, urban designers and architects in Los Angeles.

Os contêineres metálicos foram desenvolvidos para a utilização no setor de logística e transporte, mas por sua escala adaptável à das edificações e pela mobilidade e praticidade de instalação, tiveram sua utilização apropriada também pelo setor da construção civil. Essas instalações possuem diversas qualidades ambientalmente amigáveis, mas seu aspecto térmico é extremamente insuficiente: sem isolamento térmico, demandam alta carga térmica de refrigeração e aquecimento, no verão e inverno, respectivamente e, consequentemente, um alto consumo energético. Tal característica foi crucial para que se determinassem como objetivos da presente pesquisa investigar o comportamento térmico dessas construções metálicas, avaliar seus parâmetros de desempenho, conforto e estresse térmicos, por meio de uma ampla coleta de dados experimentais. O experimento com duração de um ano - contou com três tipologias de contêiner em escala real, sendo o primeiro em aço Tipo X sem isolamento térmico, o segundo com um isolamento térmico para o fenômeno da condução e o terceiro com isolamento térmico para o fenômeno da radiação. Os diferentes tipos de tratamentos térmicos proporcionaram melhorias à envoltória dos contêineres, chegando a uma diferença nas temperaturas internas de até 9 °C. Constatou-se a extrema necessidade de adequação do tipo de isolamento térmico dos contêineres ao uso a que tais instalações se destinam escritório ou alojamento, no caso dos canteiros de obras para que as características da envoltória minimizem de fato a demanda ou mesmo atinjam a eliminação da necessidade de condicionamento artificial. / Metal containers were developed to logistics and transportation sector, but as a result of their suitable scale to human occupation, and their mobility and installation convenience, their use was adopted by the construction sector. These installations have many environmentally friendly characteristics, but their thermal performance is extremely unsuitable for habitation: without thermal insulation, the containers have high cooling and heating thermal load, in summer and winter, respectively, and consequently, to achieve thermal comfort, a substantial amount of energy is consumed. This feature was important to determine that the researchs objectives were to investigate metallic constructions thermal performance, calculate their thermal performance parameters, thermal comfort and thermal stress through a wide collection of experimental data. The experiment with duration of one year was conducted in three real scale containers: all of them made of steel (called steel Type X): the first one had no thermal insulation, the second one had insulation for thermal conduction, and the third had a thermal barrier for radiation. This different types of thermal treatment provided improvement to the containers envelopes, achieving a difference in internal temperatures about 9 °C. The findings reveal that thermal insulation needs to correctly respond to the containers intended use office or accommodation, in the case of construction sites so that the envelopes characteristics can have an impact on minimizing energy demand or even eliminate the containers need for artificial heating and cooling.

Os contêineres metálicos foram desenvolvidos para a utilização no setor de logística e transporte, mas por sua escala adaptável à das edificações e pela mobilidade e praticidade de instalação, tiveram sua utilização apropriada também pelo setor da construção civil. Essas instalações possuem diversas qualidades ambientalmente amigáveis, mas seu aspecto térmico é extremamente insuficiente: sem isolamento térmico, demandam alta carga térmica de refrigeração e aquecimento, no verão e inverno, respectivamente e, consequentemente, um alto consumo energético. Tal característica foi crucial para que se determinassem como objetivos da presente pesquisa investigar o comportamento térmico dessas construções metálicas, avaliar seus parâmetros de desempenho, conforto e estresse térmicos, por meio de uma ampla coleta de dados experimentais. O experimento com duração de um ano - contou com três tipologias de contêiner em escala real, sendo o primeiro em aço Tipo X sem isolamento térmico, o segundo com um isolamento térmico para o fenômeno da condução e o terceiro com isolamento térmico para o fenômeno da radiação. Os diferentes tipos de tratamentos térmicos proporcionaram melhorias à envoltória dos contêineres, chegando a uma diferença nas temperaturas internas de até 9 °C. Constatou-se a extrema necessidade de adequação do tipo de isolamento térmico dos contêineres ao uso a que tais instalações se destinam escritório ou alojamento, no caso dos canteiros de obras para que as características da envoltória minimizem de fato a demanda ou mesmo atinjam a eliminação da necessidade de condicionamento artificial. / Metal containers were developed to logistics and transportation sector, but as a result of their suitable scale to human occupation, and their mobility and installation convenience, their use was adopted by the construction sector. These installations have many environmentally friendly characteristics, but their thermal performance is extremely unsuitable for habitation: without thermal insulation, the containers have high cooling and heating thermal load, in summer and winter, respectively, and consequently, to achieve thermal comfort, a substantial amount of energy is consumed. This feature was important to determine that the researchs objectives were to investigate metallic constructions thermal performance, calculate their thermal performance parameters, thermal comfort and thermal stress through a wide collection of experimental data. The experiment with duration of one year was conducted in three real scale containers: all of them made of steel (called steel Type X): the first one had no thermal insulation, the second one had insulation for thermal conduction, and the third had a thermal barrier for radiation. This different types of thermal treatment provided improvement to the containers envelopes, achieving a difference in internal temperatures about 9 °C. The findings reveal that thermal insulation needs to correctly respond to the containers intended use office or accommodation, in the case of construction sites so that the envelopes characteristics can have an impact on minimizing energy demand or even eliminate the containers need for artificial heating and cooling.