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Painting London’s roofs white could save hundreds of lives in an increasingly hot summer, a study suggests.
Covering the capital’s rooftops with solar panels could also have a positive effect on reducing heat-related deaths, while generating large amounts of clean energy for the city, research has shown.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) and the University of Exeter used computer modeling to predict whether ‘cool roofs’ painted in white or reflective colors would be able to cope with London’s hottest summer temperatures on record in 2018. We analyzed the impact on
They found that if all rooftops in London had cool roofs, the average outside temperature would drop by 0.8 degrees. And if they were all covered with photovoltaic (PV) panels that absorbed some of the heat and converted it into electricity, the temperature would drop by 0.3 degrees Celsius.
They estimate that 249 deaths could have been avoided with complete coverage of cool roofs, about a third of those who died in the heat in 2018.
And 96 deaths could have been avoided if every roof had solar panels, and solar power generates up to 20 terawatt-hours of electricity, more than half of the total electricity London used in all of 2018. It should have been possible to generate .
Commonly found in hot countries, these light-colored roofs absorb less radiant energy from the sun than traditional dark roofs.
This helps counter some of the “urban heat island” effect, where cities absorb large amounts of heat and become warmer than surrounding areas.
Researchers examined the effectiveness of air conditioning in the summer of 2018. In the London metropolitan area at the time, an estimated 786 people died due to heat in June, July and August, as the average temperature was around 19.2 degrees Celsius, or 1.6 degrees above average for this time of year.
Lives saved by cooler roofs would have reduced the city’s economic burden by around £615m, and lives saved by solar power would have reduced the financial burden by around £237m, the researchers said. said.
It also said that if 2% of buildings had solar PV installed and the rest had cool roofs, 248 lives could be saved and up to £146 million worth of clean electricity would be generated. .
Lead author Dr Charles Simpson from UCL said: “If widely adopted, cool roofs can significantly reduce ground-level temperatures in cities.
“The resulting cooling effect across the city will save lives and improve the quality of life for residents across the city.”
He added: “Solar panels have great benefits as a source of renewable electricity, so it’s good that cities don’t get even hotter.”
Co-author Professor Tim Taylor from the University of Exeter said: “It is clear that our cities need to adapt to climate change.
“Changing the roof space offers one potential solution.
“We need to encourage such actions to reduce the burden of excess heat on people living in urban areas and to reap potential co-benefits such as energy generation.”
