Deploy Cool Roofs
Scientific Reports
Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APEngineering
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Project Drawdown
What it is
- This article details the use of cool roofs as a climate solution, reducing the use of air conditioning to cool buildings.
- Students will understand how these roofs work, the advantages of implementing them as a climate solution, and some of the challenges associated with this solution.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This scientific article is a wealth of information regarding the net positives of green and cool roofs.
- Despite the density of the information provided, students will find it easy to digest due to the structure of the resource and the breakdown of the information under specific subheadings.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand how carbon emissions are connected to global warming and climate change.
- Students should be familiar with the format of a scientific paper.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Cross-curricular connections can be made in math classes that are using real-world data to complete calculations, or in language arts classes gathering evidence for argumentative writing.
- Engineering and science students can use this article to support a research project or climate action project to encourage the adoption of cool roofs in their community.
- As an extension, have students research buildings in their neighborhoods that may already have cool roofs. This can be done on Google Earth. If none exist, have them evaluate which buildings would most benefit from adopting a cool roof, or those that could also incorporate solar panels, solar hot water, or a rooftop garden.
From the scientist review
This resource provides a detailed analysis of adopting green roofs and cool roofs. This technique has been compared with conventional asphalt roofs, and it is an effective strategy to reduce energy use for heating and cooling buildings. It also addresses the urban heat island effect in cities. As presented, the data projection shows that the adoption rate for cool roofs from 2020-2050 may be higher than that for green roofs. However, both techniques are mitigation strategies, and the scenarios will inform better policy-making regarding scaling up the techniques. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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