Overview:

Summary: Cool walls apply treatments to building facades to reduce the solar absorption of a building's walls, which can reduce the urban heat island effect.

Implementation: Update code requirements for construction of new buildings and substantive rehabilitations. Government can mandate cool walls in building codes or energy codes.

Considerations for Use: Cool walls are less effective in colder climates that have greater heating needs in the colder months. Cool walls are best suited to buildings with low roof-to-wall and window-to-wall ratios. Additional research is needed to evaluate effectiveness of cool walls in dense areas.

• Policy Levers:
  
  
  MandateMandates are government regulations that require stakeholders to meet standards through building codes, ordinances, zoning policies, or other regulatory tools.
• Trigger Points:
  
  
  City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
  Introducing new or updated zoning/codesIncludes codes, zoning requirements or by-laws pertaining to urban planning and building construction activity.
• Intervention Type:
  Buildings and Built Form
• Sectors:
  Buildings

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Property owners, Residents
• Phase of Impact:
  Risk reduction and mitigation
• Metrics:
  Energy savings by building, Indoor air temperature reductions, Number of buildings compliant with provision, Outdoor ambient air temperature

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  Building
• Authority and Governance:
  City government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Medium-term (3-9 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  City government, Private developers, Property owners and managers
• Funding Sources:
  private investment, Public investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Low
• Public Good:
  Low
• GHG Reduction:
  Medium
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Co-benefits (Social):
  Create jobs, Save on utilities