Heating Up!
In 1997, NASA initiated a study of the urban heat island effect in Atlanta, using remote sensing to detect heat. In Atlanta’s central business district, remote sensing technology found the temperatures of buildings, pavement, and other city surfaces to range from 70 to 131 degrees, when the outside temperature was in the low-80′s! This “urban heat island” effect can raise demand for energy for air conditioning.
Viewer Tip: You can protect your home or business from the heat and reduce the load on your air conditioner by planting trees – walls that receive shade can be up to 36 degrees cooler than unshaded walls. Consider adding a few deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves in the winter) around your building. These trees will block sun during the summer, but allow warming sunlight through during the winter.
Learn more about NASA’s Project ATLANTA at: www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/atlanta/urban_atlanta.html.
Seasons: Summer
(Sources: US EPA. “Heat Island Effect: What Can be Done?” http://www.epa.gov/hiri/strategies/vegetation.html; Arizona State University. “The Urban Heat Island Phenomenon and Potential Mitigation Strategies.” http://www.asu.edu/caed/proceedings99/ESTES/ESTES.HTM)
