Transcript:
As climate change brings more extreme heat to the Boston area, some residents’ homes may become swelteringly hot.
Julia Nassar of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, a public agency, says many buildings in the city were designed for the cooler climate Boston had in the past.
Nassar: “The buildings were built for winters, and so they’re really good at retaining heat, which is particularly problematic in the summers. They’re not built with cooling or proper ventilation.”
But she says cool roofs could help.
Cool roofs are covered in reflective coatings or other materials that limit how much heat the roof absorbs from the sun.
This helps both the building and the surrounding area stay cooler.
Nassar: “And, you know, it makes running your ACs or fans easier, and so you’re also kind of saving money on your energy bills. So, it’s really like a great holistic solution.”
Nassar’s group has created an online assessment where owners, roofers, and others can enter information like a roof’s slope and materials to determine how suitable it is to convert to a cool roof.
They also released a map to help residents and public officials find buildings in the Boston area that could benefit from cool roofs.
Nassar hopes these tools help make cool roofs more widespread, so people can stay safe from the heat.
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media
