CoolRoofsBC plans to develop a comprehensive Cool Roof Knowledge Base providing a central source of reliable information about cool roofing, its benefits, research, technologies, applications, policies and experience in British Columbia and elsewhere.
The objective is to make credible cool-roofing information easier to find and use by the public, building owners, municipalities and other levels of government, First Nations communities, industry professionals, researchers and others interested in understanding or advancing cool roofing.
Development of the full Knowledge Base will require additional funding and will proceed as resources become available.
A substantial body of research, technical information and practical experience concerning cool roofing already exists in British Columbia, elsewhere in Canada and internationally. However, it is scattered across research institutions, governments, industry organizations and other sources and can be time-consuming to locate.
CoolRoofsBC is beginning by assembling an organized directory of existing information resources. The longer-term objective is to develop a Knowledge Base that makes this information easier to find, understand and apply to specific questions.
Existing Cool Roofing Information Resources
The following selected websites and publications provide starting points for learning about cool roofing, technical performance, research, policy and implementation. These links lead to material published by the organizations identified. Inclusion does not imply CoolRoofsBC endorsement of every statement or product. The directory will be reviewed and expanded over time.
Foundations
Independent cool-roof ratings, educational and technical resources.
Research and publications collection on cool roofs and surfaces.
Introductory benefits, applications and community context.
Practical introduction to cool-roof concepts.
Roofing products and design
Comparable reported solar reflectance and thermal emittance ratings.
Guidance on selecting roof systems and applications.
Explanations and guidance for owners and decision-makers.
Topic-specific technical and educational publications.
Research and performance
Research on heat islands, buildings and reflective roofs.
Scientific publications and related research.
Research on urban-scale and building-scale cooling.
Introduction to cool surfaces and their applications.
Heat and health
Broader heat-island mitigation approaches
Community interventions including cool roofs.
Canadian health and heat context.
Public health context for heat-island mitigation.
Canada and British Columbia
Canadian research on building resilience.
Context for the 2021 extreme heat event in BC.
Introductory benefits, applications and community context.
Policy and implementation
Canadian municipal green-building policy context.
Regulatory information; applicable requirements depend on code edition.
Municipal cool-roof program example.
Developing an Interactive Cool Roof Knowledge Base
The proposed next stage is a resource that enables visitors to ask specific questions about cool roofing and receive answers based on relevant material from the assembled sources. Responses would identify supporting publications and provide links to the original material so users can examine the evidence themselves.
The development project would need to address source reliability, conflicting findings, information gaps and the particular relevance of research and policy to British Columbia. The intended capability is proposed, not currently available.
Keeping the Knowledge Base Current
A second central objective is to establish an ongoing process for finding, evaluating and adding new research, technical information, building experience, government requirements and other relevant material. A useful Knowledge Base must remain current as evidence and practices evolve.
Developing and maintaining this interactive capability will require funding, technical expertise and appropriate safeguards for accuracy and transparency. Organizations and individuals interested in supporting this work are invited to learn more through CoolRoofsBC’s Planned Initiatives.
Editorial note for review: verify each external URL and publication description immediately before publication; the list is an initial curated directory, not an exhaustive or formally endorsed bibliography.
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