National Center of Excellence Seeks to Mitigate Urban Heat Islands

June 2006

The new National Center of Excellence on SMART Innovations for Urban Climate and Energy at Arizona State University focuses on innovative, renewable technology to help mitigate urban heat islands and lower energy consumption. The center seeks to use its funding support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a new generation of sustainable materials and renewable technology (SMART) innovations.

The center brings together leading researchers and government and industry representatives to find solutions that are scientifically, economically, and operationally sound to address ways to relieve urban heat islands and lower energy use — a growing concern for many U.S. cities.

The "urban heat island effect" describes a condition of abnormally elevated temperatures that urban areas experience compared to more rural surroundings. During the summer, higher surface and air temperatures caused by manmade structures can cause discomfort and increase health risks. It can also increase air-conditioning use that may cause power outages, worsen air quality by promoting ground-level ozone formation, and impair water quality by heating storm water runoff, which causes thermal shock for aquatic life.

The new National Center for Excellence on SMART Innovations will play a significant role in mitigating the environmental and health effects that are typically associated with sprawling urban areas.

For more information on EPA's heat island reduction activities, see the EPA Web site.