The Heat Island Group at LBNL is leading a new project, Cool Communities, sponsored by California Energy Commission and California Air Resources Board.

In 2006, California introduced the Global Warming Solutions Act (Assembly Bill 32) which requires California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Several “cool community” strategies including cool roofs, cool pavements, cool walls and urban vegetation have been identified as effective voluntary measures with statewide potential emission reductions of 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. The Heat Island Group’s Cool Communities project seeks to provide technical assistance to California communities for development of programs that save energy, reduce emission of greenhouse gases, and improve the urban environment. This includes scientific research as well as educational and outreach efforts.