As summers become increasingly dangerous in cities due to the urban heat island effect, researchers have found a potential solution to combat rising temperatures: retroreflectors. A study published in the journal Nature Cities reveals that installing retroreflective material on buildings can reduce surface temperatures by up to 19.9 degrees Celsius and air temperatures by almost 2.7 degrees Celsius.
Elie Bou-Zeid, a co-author of the study and a professor at Princeton University, emphasizes the importance of cooling building surfaces for pedestrians, as these surfaces radiate heat. Retroreflectors, which reflect light back in the direction it came from, have been proposed as a low-cost solution to help reduce urban heat.
While cities have started implementing other cooling techniques such as white pavement and green roofs, researchers believe that retroreflective materials could have a more significant cooling impact. These materials could be developed in sheet or coating form to be installed on city surfaces.
Although retrofitting existing buildings with retroreflective materials may be challenging, researchers believe that the technology has great potential to combat the increasing danger of urban heat. With cities needing to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change, incorporating a range of cooling techniques tailored to localized conditions is crucial.
While the idea of using retroreflective materials may face obstacles, such as making winters seem colder, researchers are hopeful that with further development, this technology could provide a powerful tool in combating the urban heat island effect and reducing the urban impact of the climate crisis.