Cool roofs are typically white coatings that provide energy cost savings by reflecting more sunlight than an ordinary dark roof. And while they’ve been well studied in the United States, most research in China has only happened within the last decade. Now, an international study led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has conducted the first comprehensive study of cool roofs in China.

"We were taking something that was well understood elsewhere in the world and extending it to a very important country with a very large population that’s actively seeking to save energy and reduce its carbon footprint."

Staff scientist Ronnen Levinson says that the team tested both residential and office buildings in seven Chinese cities in five climate zones.

“We hope to do two things: first, learn how roof reflectance changes over time in various climates in China; and we hope that this is going to jump start the use of cool roofs in that country.”