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Seoul paints roofs white to save energy and keep cool

June 22, 2015
Campaigners of Seoul's "Cool Roof Project" paint a rooftop of a building in Dongdaemun-gu white, Sunday. (Yonhap)

Campaigners of Seoul’s “Cool Roof Project” paint a rooftop of a building in Dongdaemun-gu white, Sunday. (Yonhap)

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has started a free campaign to paint roofs white with solar-reflective coating to cut the heat-island effect and save energy in summer.

It will start by receiving applications from young people living in rooftop houses.

The logic is straightforward.

When roofs absorb heat, the energy required to cool the building increases.

It also contributes to the heat-island effect, where cities packed with buildings trap heat, leading to higher temperatures than surrounding areas.

Painting roofs white helps reflect the sun’s rays, reducing heat absorption.

“We will make an effort to have the ‘cool roof project’ spread throughout the city,” a city official said.