Philadelphia tested a simple way to protect older, low-income residents from summer heat by putting reflective white roof coatings on hundreds of homes between 2001 and 2003. The Cool Homes Programme targeted elderly households living in the city’s older housing stock, where dark roofs could absorb intense sunlight and transfer heat into upper-floor rooms.

Discover how Philadelphia's initiative to paint roofs white resulted in significant energy savings and lower temperatures for low-income seniors. Learn why this simple, low-tech…

Philadelphia tested a simple way to protect older, low-income residents from summer heat by putting reflective white roof coatings on hundreds of homes between 2001 and 2003. The…