Asphalt Going Green with "Cool Pavement" in Phoenix

PHOENIX, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenicians will return from the Memorial Day weekend to witness installation of the first "Cool Pavement" parking lot in central downtown Phoenix.  This 90,000-square-foot temporary parking lot located between First, Second, Taylor and Polk Streets  will now help cool the city this summer. The asphalt parking lot is "going green" literally, with Emerald Cities™ "Celadon Green" solar reflective permanent cool coating which reduces hot asphalt surface temperatures by at least 30°(F) on hot days, helps reduce C02 and in general helps to mitigate the effects of downtown urban heat island (UHI) view photos and full article at www.emeraldcoolpavements.com.

The project began on Wednesday, May 25th, with spray crews working at night for the very reason the project is being done, namely, Phoenix asphalt is hot at this time of year. Emerald Cities™ "Cool Pavement" is a state-of-the-art climate change product and its benefits are being introduced at the "Cool Pavement" event in Phoenix on June 10, 2010. This event is to provide public awareness of "Cool Pavement" as a cost effective solution for cooling and beautifying hot black asphalt (see invitation at www.100emeraldcities.com).

PHOENIX  "COOL PAVEMENT" EVENT

• Seminar:  The Phoenix is hosted by Emerald Cities™ USA and begins at 2 pm in the Westin Copper Ballroom (11th floor) with two keynote speakers.
• Speakers:  Ronnen Levenson, Ph.D., staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and head of the Urban Heat Island Group will speak on cool paving materials, methods for measurement of solar reflectance and energy efficiency standards.  Jon Belkowitz, founder of Intelligent Concrete LLC and former mix designer at Lafarge, will speak on concrete nanotechnology developments and the evolution of the Emerald Cities™ "Cool Pavement" coating.
• Reception:  Cocktails/hors d' oeuvres will be served at 5pm on the 11th floor Copper Ballroom foyer of the Westin Downtown Phoenix Hotel overlooking the project.
• "Cool Pavement" Demonstration:  Starts at 6 pm where the last stroke of color will be laid down on the Polk Street side of the parking lot. "Cool Pavement" mixing equipment and application techniques will be featured.
• Closing Ceremony:  There will also be a "Closing Ceremony" to thank the City of Phoenix, the contractors and others who made this project possible. This is a major media event inviting business and industry leaders to learn about Emerald Cities™ sustainable "Cool Pavement" solution which is making its nationwide debut in the City of Phoenix.

ASPHALT "GOING GREEN"

Asphalt parking lots are one of the most important assets of cities and property owners everywhere.  But scientific studies have recently determined that "black" asphalt is a major contributing factor in the formation of urban heat because it absorbs and stores heat.  For example, summer heat in downtown Phoenix can reach temperatures of 115°-118°(F) with asphalt surfaces averaging 150°-170°(F).  Heat is then re-released when the sun goes down causing the city to heat up again. Urban heat is a problem facing every city in the world, and is taking its toll on every facet of city life. In the fight against climate change, "Cool Pavement" is the future of asphalt for many of the following reasons:

• Businesses trying to meet urban sustainability standards
• Commercial businesses trying to reduce A/C consumption cost due to urban heat
• Apartment building owners resurfacing asphalt destroyed by urban heat
• Commercial Building owners trying to cut A/C consumption in urban heat
• Healthcare professionals treating more illness due to heat and pollution
• Shopping Malls losing valuable consumer sales due to summer urban heat
• Amusement parks losing attendance due to urban heat
• Children's health problems on hot inner city asphalt playgrounds
• Athletes struggling to train on hot inner city asphalt courts
• City governments looking for solutions to solve urban heat and energy waste
• Power companies working to forestall power outages due to urban heat
• General public's rising electric bills due to urban heat and wasted energy
• "Cool Pavement" protects asphalt from UV degradation and water intrusion

100 CITIES "COOL PAVEMENT" INITIATIVE

FLAGSHIP CITY: PHOENIX

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) coined the term "Cool Pavement" to describe coating materials for pavements that reduce surface heat and the effects of urban heat island. In 2008, US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced that "Changing surface colors in 100 of the world's largest cities could save the equivalent of 44 billion tons of carbon dioxide…about as much as global carbon emissions are expected to rise by over the next decade". Emerald Cities™ has spent two years in R&D to develop its proprietary product which incorporates the research of Lawrence Berkeley Labs, MIT, and the field work of Intelligent Concrete LLC working with Emerald Cities™ to perfect a coating which is a "solar reflective ultra-high performance nano-engineered thin concrete". Technical Information and ASTM Test Data is available at  www.emeraldcoolpavements.com

Emerald Cities™ is launching the 100 Cities "Cool Pavement" Initiative for the participation of communities nationwide, with the City of Phoenix as its "Flagship."  As with Phoenix, participating cities receive the following:  (1) training of local contractors for green jobs; (2) specialized "Cool Pavement" equipment; (3) complimentary monitoring and measuring equipment; (4) DOE/LBNL Seminar and Educational Materials; (5) full publicity and media coverage; (6) project video; (7) aerial photos of finished "Cool Pavement" project (8) City status within the 100 Cities™ "Cool Pavement" Initiative.

The 100 Cities "Cool Pavement" Initiative was developed by Emerald Cities™ working in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory under a signed agreement dated January 2011, incorporating the DOE-LBNL "Cool Communities" Seminar Series with EC "Cool Pavement" demonstrations. Emerald Cities™ is making this program available to Mayors, City Planners and Project Developers nationwide, and can provide cost effective financing recommendations. Cities interested in participating in the 100 Cities "Cool Pavement" Seminar and Demonstrations may apply by requesting an application at  [email protected].  For further information contact:

Sheri Roese, CEO
Emerald Cities™ USA Ltd.
[email protected]

SOURCE Emerald Cities USA Ltd.