Be Cool – NYC Cool Roofs

On Saturday, I participated in the annual Yale Day of Service organized by Yale Blue Green and NYC Cool Roofs. The activity was to coat a roof of a low-incoming housing development in Harlem, NYC in a white elastin material that helps buildings reflect solar infrared radiation and keep them cool (read more about how cool roofs work here). NYC Cool Roofs is an initiative that was started to help NYC reach its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2030. Although they are in the process of collecting data on energy and cost savings, cool roofs are supposed to yield 30 percent reductions in cooling bills during summer months. I was really happy I got to learn about this “cool” initiative and help to coat one of their roofs.