NYC Service Chief Service Officer Diahann Billings-Burford and Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert D. LiMandri launched the second season of NYC CoolRoofs on May 24, an initiative that seeks to reduce carbon emissions, cut energy use and lower temperatures by helping property owners to apply a white, reflective coating to their rooftops and utilizes volunteers in the effort.
During the program’s inaugural season last year, more than one million square feet of rooftop was coated throughout the five boroughs, with nearly 2,000 New Yorkers volunteering to help coat rooftops. This year, the program aims to coat an additional million square feet of rooftop with assistance from Google and Con Edison, the lead sponsors of the 2011 effort. NYC °CoolRoofs kicked off this year’s effort with 40 volunteers coating more than 15,000 square feet at Harlen Housing, a low-income housing center located at 560 Lenox Avenue in Harlem. The program will help the City’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030, the primary goal of PlaNYC, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s comprehensive sustainability plan.
“More cool roofs mean a cooler city,” said Commissioner LiMandri. “We are thrilled to coordinate the second season of this great program with NYC Service, Con Edison and Google and continue to improve the quality of life for millions of New Yorkers. A simple rooftop coating can significantly reduce energy costs and lower the temperatures of your building, reducing the impact on your neighborhood and your wallet. I encourage more property owners and volunteers to join this effort – and be cool this summer by coating a rooftop today.”
“New York City has more than 1.6 billion square feet of rooftops. By coating rooftops white, we can help reduce temperatures and save building owners money,” said David Bragdon, Director of the Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. “The NYC ºCoolRoofs Program is a perfect example of how property owners, tenants, and volunteers can take tangible actions to help us meet the goals of PlaNYC and create a greener, greater New York.”
Under the NYC °Cool Roofs Program, a wide range of public, private and non-profit buildings have coated their rooftops white, including Broadway Stages, a Brooklyn film studio, and LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens. The City will continue to add the white, reflective coating to its own properties identified by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the New York City Housing Authority and the Department of Parks and Recreation.
For example, the Parks Department has coated nearly 194,000 square feet of rooftop at its buildings and has pledged to coat 300,000 more square feet by the end of the year. Last year, more than 340,000 square feet of City-owned rooftops were coated, including:
New York City Housing Authority: 106,538 square feet
Department of Parks and Recreation: 193,500 square feet
Department of Homeless Services:144,505 square feet
City University of New York: 46,670 square feet
Department of Citywide Administrative Services: 22,500 square feet
New York Police Department: 11,710 square feet
Department of Transportation: 9,980 square feet
