EPA, Arizona State fight 'heat islands'

TEMPE, Ariz., April 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is joining Arizona State University in an effort to mitigate the effects of so-called urban heat islands.

The research, aimed at lowering energy consumption, is being conducted at the new National Center of Excellence on Sustainable Materials And Renewable Technology (SMART) Innovations for Urban Climate and Energy, located at Arizona State University. Center researchers are developing a new generation of SMART innovations with EPA funding.

"Constructing our cities with sustainable materials and renewable technologies helps keep them cool and provide cost-effective health, energy, air and water quality benefits," said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum.

The "urban heat island effect" describes a condition of abnormally elevated temperatures that urban areas experience compared with more rural surroundings, the EPA said.

During the summer, higher surface and air temperatures caused by human-built structures can increase discomfort and risk human health. It also can raise air-conditioner use, risk power outages due to peak electricity demands, worsen air quality by promoting ground-level ozone formation, and impair water quality by heating storm water runoff, causing thermal shock for aquatic life.