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Energy Business
Jaber Abosaag
Jaber Abosaag
·Posted in Energy Business
Tue, Sep 5

Brighter Streets: Paving the Way to a Sustainable Future

Painting streets in lighter colors is a simple and cost-effective strategy that can help to mitigate the negative impacts of heat on urban areas. Lighter colors reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat, making them more effective at reducing surface temperatures. This can help to lower the overall temperature of an urban area, improve energy efficiency, and reduce the risk of accidents and injuries. In addition to these benefits, lighter colored streets can also enhance the aesthetics of a city and boost the local economy. Overall, painting streets in lighter colors is an effective way to address the challenges of heat in urban areas and improve the comfort, safety, and attractiveness of cities.

Painting streets in lighter colors is a simple and cost-

effective solution that can help to mitigate the negative impacts of heat on urban areas, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Here are some of the main pros of using lighter colors for street painting in this country:

  1. Cooling effect: Lighter colors reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat, making them more effective at reducing surface temperatures. This can help to lower the overall temperature of an urban area and make it more comfortable for people to walk and drive on the streets.
  2. Energy savings: Lowering the temperature of streets can also have a positive impact on energy consumption. By reducing the need for air conditioning and other cooling measures, cities can save on energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint.
  3. Improved safety: Higher temperatures can increase the risk of accidents and injuries, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. By reducing surface temperatures, lighter colored streets can help to improve safety for pedestrians and drivers.
  4. Aesthetic benefits: Lighter colors can also add a fresh, modern look to urban areas and make them more attractive to residents and visitors. This can help to boost the local economy and increase the overall livability of a city.
  5. Energy savings and emission reductions. Cool pavements lower the outside air temperature, allowing air conditioners to cool buildings with less energy. Cool pavements also save energy by reducing t...
  6. Improved comfort and health. Cool pavements cool the city air, reducing heat-related illnesses, slowing the formation of smog, and making it more comfortable to be outside. Pedestrians also benefit...
  7. Increased driver safety. Light-colored pavements better reflect street lights and vehicle headlights at night, increasing visibility for drivers.
  8. Improved air quality. By decreasing urban air temperatures, cool pavements can slow atmospheric chemical reactions that create smog.

painting streets in lighter colors is a simple yet effective way to address the challenges of heat in Saudi Arabia. By reflecting sunlight and reducing surface temperatures, these colors can help to improve the comfort, safety, and attractiveness of urban areas.

several cities worldwide have already experimented with painting their streets in lighter colors to mitigate the effects of heat and improve urban environments. Some notable examples include:

1. Phoenix, Arizona:, Phoenix painted some streets in a lighter shade of gray to reduce surface temperatures and enhance energy efficiency [6]. A Department of Energy study revealed that the lighter color reduced surface temperatures by up to 10°F, leading to significant energy savings.

 

2. Los Angeles, California:,

With global temperatures rising, more and more people are relying on cooling to stay safe and comfortable. The International Energy Agency projects that energy demand from air conditioners will triple by 2050 – equivalent to adding 10 new air conditioners every second for the next 30 years.

The power needed to keep air conditioners and electric fans running accounts for 20% of global electricity use, according to the IEA’s Future of Cooling report.

In Los Angeles, California, some streets and pavements have been painted with a white coating called CoolSeal to help reduce temperatures in the city. This resulted in the streets being 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit (5.5C - 8.3C) cooler on average than others, according to the city’s Bureau of Street Services.( The world’s whitest paint could help fight climate change, say scientists | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

 

3. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: In 2023, Riyadh Municipality launched a successful

program to paint city streets white quickly mitigating heat island effects. Also Saudi Road authority launched similar project for the national roads network, painting streets in white. The plan is to scale up the project kingdom wide. 

These examples demonstrate the efficacy of painting streets in lighter colors across various geographical locations and climates.

Technology: Cool Pavements for Sustainable Urban Solutions

 

Cool pavements are an effective solution for mitigating the urban heat island effect. They can be made from traditional paving materials such as cement concrete or asphalt concrete. New cement concrete typically has a solar reflectance (SR) of 30–50%, while novel cool-colored coatings for asphalt concrete pavements can reflect about 50% of sunlight. Another approach involves using a clear binder that reveals highly reflective (light-colored) aggregate, enhancing the pavement's solar reflectance.

It's important to note that the solar reflectance of pavements can change over time due to exposure to the atmosphere and use. As cement concrete pavement ages, it tends to get darker, with tire and grease stains impacting its solar reflectance (new SR 30-50%; aged SR 20-35%). Conversely, asphalt concrete lightens as it ages (new SR 5%; aged SR 10-20%) because the asphalt binder oxidizes, exposing more reflective aggregate [1].

Author advice:

To simplify the process of creating cool pavements and make it more cost-efficient, a viable option is using tar mixed with light color pigments sprayed as final layer. This combination can provide comparable solar reflectance levels while reducing the overall expenses of implementing cool pavements. By adopting this approach, cities can contribute to a sustainable future by reducing the heat island effect and creating more comfortable and eco-friendly urban environments.

It would be a lot more sustainable if we only use yellow and light colored gravel.

 

In conclusion, painting streets in lighter colors, such as white, is a simple yet effective solution to mitigate the negative impacts of heat on urban areas. The benefits encompass a cooler and more energy-efficient environment, improved safety, enhanced aesthetics, and a positive economic impact. Adopting this sustainable practice can pave the way to a brighter and more sustainable future for cities worldwide. Let's join hands in advocating for and implementing this innovative approach to create greener and more livable urban spaces. Together, we can pave the way to a sustainable future, one street at a time.

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