Transcript SMART SURFACES DC

SMART SURFACES DC
Actively managing District sun and rain to improve health and comfort
and slow global warming while saving several billion dollars
Greg Kats and Keith Glassbrook, Capital E
FUNDING PROVIDED BY:
National Partners
District Partners
Acknowledgements
Special Thanks
• Tommy Wells, Jeff Seltzer, Brian VanWye, Bill Updike, and Jay Wilson of the Department
of Energy & Environment
• Mark Chambers of the Department of General Services
• Sam Brooks of ClearRock (formerly of DGS)
• Neal Fann of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Alex Kats-Rubin of Abt Associates
• Paul Lanning of Lightbox Energy (formerly of Bluefin LLC)
• Kurt Shickman of Global Cool Cities Alliance
• Robert Ivy and John Schneidawind of AIA
• Harriet Tregoning of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Extra special thanks are due to Ariana Vaisey and Grace Buie, our wonderful interns 2015
and 2016, respectively
Advisors who provided guidance and feedback throughout the
development of this report. Our Advisors include:
• Sean Cahill (Senior VP of Development, Property Group Partners; Immediate Past
President, DC Building Industry Association),
• Dr. John Davies-Cole (State Epidemiologist, Center for Policy, Planning & Evaluation, DC
Department of Health);
• Dr. Lynn Goldman (Dean, Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWU); Epidemiologist;
former EPA Assistant Administrator);
• Dr. Ronnen Levinson (Deputy Leader, Heat Island Group, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory);
• Dr. Art Rosenfeld (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; former Commissioner at the
California Energy Commission; co-founder of the American Council for an EnergyEfficient Economy (ACEEE));
• Kurt Shickman (Executive Director of Global Cool Cities Alliance);
• Dan Tangherlini (former Administrator of GSA; former City Administrator of Washington,
DC).
Table of Contents
• Background
• Conclusions
• Solutions and Benefits
• Appendix
• Key Assumptions
• Results
Smart Roofs – Department of General
Services (Phase 1)
• Washington, DC has ambitious
energy, greening, and health
objectives, embodied in
Sustainable DC Plan
• The District’s Department of
General Services (DGS) is greening
its portfolio of 28 million SF,
including 11 million SF of roofs (of
which 9 million SF are low slope)
• DGS hired Capital E in 2013 to
undertake a cost-benefit analysis
for the District’s Smart Roof
Program
Present value over 40 years for each roof technology on all
DGS low slope roofs
COMPARISON
COSTS
BENEFITS
Energy
Stormwater
Health
Climate change
TOTAL NPV
Cool Roofs
Green Roofs
$5,580,000
$52,100,000
$17,100,000
N/A
$32,900,000
$2,110,000
$46,500,000
$203,000,000
$538,000,000
$21,000,000
$482,000,000
$31,600,000
$3,310,000
$335,000,000
Roof technology
Cool roof
Green roof
PV (PPA)
Internal Rate of
Return
91%
11%
N/A
Conventional w/
PV (PPA)
$0
$294,000,000
$34,500,000
N/A
$205,000,000
$54,700,000
$294,000,000
Simple Payback
Period (years)
2
11
N/A
Smart Surfaces – DGS and Department of
Energy & Environment (Phase 2)
• Builds on Smart Roof project for DGS
• Goal: estimate the costs and benefits of city-wide deployment of
smart surface solutions
• Smart Surfaces:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cool roofs
Cool roofs with bioretention or rainwater harvesting
Green roofs
Solar PV
Reflective pavements
Permeable pavements
Urban trees
Opportunity and Need
• Residents of Washington, DC
(the District) already suffer
through hotter and more humid
summers due to climate change
• The District is projected to
experience substantial
increases in the number of days
above 90°F, 95°F, and 100°F
• The number of days above
100°F is expected to increase
four- to nine-fold
• Higher temperatures will
threaten summer tourism and
will increase smog formation
and cooling energy use, further
threatening District livability in
the summer
Image Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), “Adapting to Climate Change: Federal Agencies in the Washington, DC Metro Area,” 2012.
THE NOAA ANNUAL GREENHOUSE GAS INDEX
(Updated Spring 2016)
Global Warming/ climate change is accelerating, not slowing
Opportunity and Need (cont.)
• DOEE predicts that:
(1) Extreme precipitation events will
increase in frequency and
intensity
(2) Sea level rise will continue and
even accelerate
• The size and frequency of
“design” storms, which
engineers and designers use to
appropriately size stormwater
infrastructure, will increase
Image Source: Perkins + Will and Kleinfelder, Climate Projections & Scenario Development: Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the District of Columbia, 2016
Opportunity and Need (cont.)
• These temperature increases will
put a severe strain on the city’s
infrastructure
• Including increasing cooling energy
use, reducing comfort, and
increasing risk of heat-related deaths
• Changes in precipitation and sea
level rise will put an enormous
burden on the city’s stormwater
infrastructure
• Increasingly difficult for
infrastructure to handle stormwater
runoff and sewage overflow 
continued river contamination and
further water infrastructure
investment
Demonstrates the need to
prioritize urban cooling and
stormwater managing
measures in policy making
and planning
Smart Surface Solutions Can Help A Lot… if costs and benefits
understood
Cool Roofs
Rainwater Harvesting
Bioretention
Green Roofs
Urban Trees
Image Sources: Heat Island Group, “Cool Roofs,” Berkeley Lab, accessed October 12, 2015; U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), “Green Roofs,” U.S. General Services Administration, July 28, 2015; National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL), “PVWatts Calculator,” NREL, accessed October 12, 2015; Christine E. Boyle, “The Slow March Forward of Utilities Embracing Rainwater Harvesting as an Alternative Water Supply,” Environmental Finance
Blog, September 20, 2012; Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE), “Stormwater BMP Specifications,” Training Documents - 2013 Stormwater Management Rule and Guidebook, October 2013; Casey Trees, “Street Tree
Information,” Casey Trees, accessed October 12, 2015; David Roberts, “Lightfinder Northwest,” accessed June 3, 2016; Heat Island Group, “Cool Pavements,” Berkeley Lab, accessed December 23, 2015
Solar PV
Permeable Pavements
Reflective Pavements
Table of Contents
• Background
• Conclusions
• Solutions and Benefits
• Appendix
• Key Assumptions
• Results
Cool Roof Benefits Valued
• Direct and indirect (urban heat island-related) energy savings
• Reduced building energy use  lower energy expenditures
• Reduced ozone and fine particle (PM2.5) pollution
• Reduced incidences of respiratory (e.g., worsened asthma, inflammation) and
cardiovascular (e.g., heart disease) health problems and reduced mortality  lower
healthcare expenditures
• Reduced heat-related mortality
• Fewer deaths during the warm season that are related to the urban heat island 
lower healthcare expenditures
• Global cooling and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Reduced climate change impacts  decreased economic damage due to climate
change
Cool Roof + Bioretention Benefits Valued
• Direct and indirect (urban heat island-related) energy savings
• Reduced building energy use  lower energy expenditures
• Reduced ozone and fine particle (PM2.5) pollution
• Reduced incidences of respiratory (e.g., worsened asthma, inflammation) and cardiovascular (e.g., heart
disease) health problems and reduced mortality  lower healthcare expenditures
• Reduced heat-related mortality
• Fewer deaths during the warm season that are related to the urban heat island  lower healthcare
expenditures
• Global cooling and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Reduced climate change impacts  decreased economic damage due to climate change
• Reduced stormwater runoff
• Reduced stormwater runoff from the roof that contributes to combined sewer overflows and flash flooding
and that harms local waterbodies and wildlife  reduced costs of stormwater management
• Increased employment
• Increased income, increased tax revenue, and reduced welfare payments
Cool Roofs + Rainwater Harvesting Benefits
Valued
• Direct and indirect (urban heat island-related) energy savings
• Reduced building energy use  lower energy expenditures
• Reduced ozone and fine particle (PM2.5) pollution
• Reduced incidences of respiratory (e.g., worsened asthma, inflammation) and cardiovascular (e.g., heart disease) health
problems and reduced mortality  lower healthcare expenditures
• Reduced heat-related mortality
• Fewer deaths during the warm season that are related to the urban heat island  lower healthcare expenditures
• Global cooling and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Reduced climate change impacts  decreased economic damage due to climate change
• Reduced stormwater runoff
• Reduced stormwater runoff from the roof that contributes to combined sewer overflows and flash flooding and that harms
local waterbodies and wildlife  reduced costs of stormwater management
• Reduced potable water use
• Water collected in rainwater harvesting system used for irrigation or non-potable indoor applications  reduced potable
water expenditures
• Increased employment
• Increased income, increased tax revenue, and reduced welfare payments
Green Roof Benefits Valued
• Direct and indirect (urban heat island-related) energy savings
• Reduced building energy use  lower energy expenditures
• Reduced ozone and fine particle (PM2.5) pollution
• Reduced incidences of respiratory (e.g., worsened asthma, inflammation) and cardiovascular (e.g., heart
disease) health problems and reduce mortality  lower healthcare expenditures
• Reduced heat-related mortality
• Fewer deaths during the warm season that are related to the urban heat island  lower healthcare
expenditures
• Global cooling and reduced GHG emissions
• Reduced climate change impacts  decreased economic damage due to climate change
• Reduced stormwater runoff
• Reduced stormwater runoff from the roof that contributes to combined sewer overflows and flash flooding
and that harms local waterbodies and wildlife  reduced costs of stormwater management
• Increased employment
• Increased labor intensity compared to conventional roofs  Increased income, increased tax revenue, and
reduced welfare payments
Solar PV
• Electricity generation
• Offsets electricity purchases from the grid with electricity generated onsite  lower
electricity expenditures
• Financial incentives
• Tax credits, depreciation, and solar renewable energy credits
• Reduced PM2.5 pollution
• Reduced incidences of respiratory (e.g., worsened asthma, inflammation) and cardiovascular
(e.g., heart disease) health problems and deaths  lower healthcare expenditures
• Reduced GHG emissions
• Reduced climate change impacts  decreased economic damage due to climate change
• Increased employment
• Increased income, increased tax revenue, and reduced welfare payments
Reflective Pavements
• Indirect (urban heat island-related) energy savings
• Reduced building energy use  lower energy costs
• Reduced ozone and fine particle (PM2.5) pollution
• Reduced incidences of respiratory (e.g., worsened asthma, inflammation) and
cardiovascular (e.g., heart disease) health problems and reduced mortality  lower
healthcare expenditures
• Reduced heat-related mortality
• Fewer deaths during the warm season that are related to the urban heat island 
lower healthcare expenditures
• Global cooling and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Reduced climate change impacts  decreased economic damage due to climate
change
Permeable Pavements
• Reduced stormwater runoff
• Reduced stormwater runoff from the roof that contributes to combined
sewer overflows and flash flooding and that harms local waterbodies and
wildlife  reduced costs of stormwater management
• Reduced pavement salt use
• Reduced use of pavement salt needed to prevent ice build-up  reduced
deicing expenditures
Urban Trees
• Direct and indirect (urban heat island-related) energy savings
• Reduced building energy use  lower energy costs
• Reduced ozone and fine particle (PM2.5) pollution
• Reduced incidences of respiratory (e.g., worsened asthma, inflammation) and cardiovascular
(e.g., heart disease) health problems and reduce mortality  lower healthcare expenditures
• Reduced heat-related mortality
• Fewer deaths during the warm season that are related to the urban heat island  lower
healthcare expenditures
• Global cooling and reduced GHG emissions
• Reduced climate change impacts  decreased economic damage due to climate change
• Reduced stormwater runoff
• Reduced stormwater runoff from the roof that contributes to combined sewer overflows and
flash flooding and that harms local waterbodies and wildlife  reduced costs of stormwater
management
Climate Change Mitigation Pathways
Note: Up arrows (↑) indicate an increase, and down arrows (↓) indicate a decrease; shaded boxes indicate pathways
included in cost-benefit results
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
↑ Roof albedo
(2) ↓ Energy use
↓ GHG emissions
↓ Climate change
(3) ↑ Global
cooling
↑ PV panels
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
(2) ↓ Energy use
↑ Rooftop
vegetation
(3) ↑ Global
cooling
(4) ↑ Carbon
sequestration
↓ GHG emissions
↓ Climate change
(1) ↓ Grid
electricity use
↓ GHG emissions
↓ Climate change
Climate Change Mitigation Pathways (cont.)
Note: Up arrows (↑) indicate an increase, and down arrows (↓) indicate a decrease; shaded boxes indicate pathways
included in cost-benefit results
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
↑ Pavement
albedo
↓ Energy use
↓ GHG emissions
↓ Climate change
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
(2) ↑ Global
cooling
↑ Bioretention
↓ Energy use
(2) ↑ Carbon
sequestration
↓ GHG emissions
↓ Climate change
Ozone Reduction Pathways
Note: Up arrows (↑) indicate an increase, and down arrows (↓) indicate a decrease; shaded boxes indicate pathways
included in cost-benefit results
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
↑ Roof albedo
(2) ↓ Energy use
↓ Ozone precursor
emissions
↓ Ozone formation
(indirect conc.
reduction)
↑ PV panels
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
(2) ↓ Energy use
↑ Rooftop
vegetation
↓ Ozone precursor
emissions
↓ Ozone formation
(indirect conc.
reduction)
(3) Directly remove
NO2
(4) Directly remove
ozone
↓ Ozone conc.
(1) ↓ Grid
electricity use
↓ Ozone precursor
emissions
↓ Ozone formation
(indirect conc.
reduction)
Ozone Reduction Pathways (cont.)
Note: Up arrows (↑) indicate an increase, and down arrows (↓) indicate a decrease; shaded boxes indicate pathways
included in cost-benefit results
↑ Pavement
albedo
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
↓ Energy use
↓ Ozone precursor
emissions
↓ Ozone formation
(indirect conc.
reduction)
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
↓ Energy use
↓ Ozone precursor
emissions
↓ Ozone formation
(indirect conc.
reduction)
↑ Bioretention
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
(2) ↓ Energy use
(2) Directly remove
NO2
↓ Ozone precursor
emissions
↓ Ozone formation
(indirect conc.
reduction)
↑ Urban trees
(3) Directly remove
NO2
(4) Directly remove
ozone
↓ Ozone conc.
(3) Directly remove
ozone
↓ Ozone conc.
PM2.5 Reduction Pathways
Note: Up arrows (↑) indicate an increase, and down arrows (↓) indicate a decrease; shaded boxes indicate pathways
included in cost-benefit results
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
↑ Roof albedo
↓ PM2.5 pollution
(2) ↓ Energy use
↓ PM2.5 precursor
emissions
↑ PV panels
(2) ↓ Ambient
temperature
↑ Rooftop
vegetation
↓ PM2.5 pollution
(4) Direct removal
PM2.5 precursors
↓ PM2.5 pollution
↓ PM2.5 precursor
emissions
(1) Direct removal
PM2.5
(3) ↓ Energy use
(1) ↓ Grid
electricity use
↓ PM2.5 precursor
emissions
PM2.5 Reduction Pathways (cont.)
Note: Up arrows (↑) indicate an increase, and down arrows (↓) indicate a decrease; shaded boxes indicate pathways
included in cost-benefit results
↑ Pavement
albedo
(1) ↓ Ambient
temperature
↓ PM2.5 pollution
(1) Direct removal
PM2.5
↓ Energy use
↓ PM2.5 precursor
emissions
(2) ↓ Ambient
temperature
↓ Energy use
(2) ↓ Ambient
temperature
↑ Urban trees
↓ PM2.5 pollution
(3) ↓ Energy use
(4) Direct removal
PM2.5 precursors
↓ PM2.5 pollution
↑ Bioretention
(1) Direct removal
PM2.5
↓ PM2.5 precursor
emissions
(3) Direct removal
PM2.5 precursors
↓ PM2.5 precursor
emissions
Table of Contents
• Background
• Conclusions
• Solutions and Benefits
• Appendix
• Key Assumptions
• Results
Key Analysis-wide Assumptions
• Analysis term: 40 years
• Analysis year 1: 2017
• Discount rate: 3% (real)
• Dollar year: 2015 (adjusted using the historical consumer price index
for all national urban consumers)
Key Solution-Specific Assumptions
Cool Roofs
Green Roofs
• Albedo: 0.65 (low slope) and
0.25 (steep slope)
• Growing media depth: 4.5 inches
• Leaf area index: 2
• Life: 40 years
• Installed on low slope roofs only
• Shifting to 0.75 (low slope) and
0.40 (steep slope) post-2025
• Life: 20 years
Key Solution-Specific Assumptions (cont.)
Solar PV
Bioretention
• PV purchase breakdown: 25%
direct purchase vs. 75% PPA
• PPA term/system life: 20 years
• PPA price: 5% below utility
electricity price
• Annual degradation: 0.5%
• PV Efficiency: 18%
• Life: 25 years
Rainwater Harvesting
• Life: 40 years
Key Solution-Specific Assumptions (cont.)
Reflective Pavements
Permeable Pavements
• Albedo: 0.30 (road), 0.30
(parking lot), 0.35 (sidewalk)
• Life:
• Shifting to 0.35 (road), 0.40
(parking lot), 0.45 (sidewalk)
• Parking lot: 25-40 years
(depending on technology)
• Sidewalk: 40 years
• Life
• Road: 6-10 years
• Parking lot: 15 years
• Sidewalk: 40 years
Urban Trees
• Life: 30 years
Table of Contents
• Background
• Conclusions
• Solutions and Benefits
• Appendix
• Key Assumptions
• Results
Surface Coverage By End of 40-yr Analysis
Surface solution
Cool roofs
Green roofs
Solar PV
Percent coverage by end of 40-year analysis
50% of roofs (10% multifamily low slope cool roofs and 20% of
commercial low slope cool roofs have bioretention; 5% multifamily low
slope cool roofs and 10% of commercial low slope cool roofs have
rainwater harvesting)
10% of roofs
50% of viable (=530 MW)
Reflective pavements
50% of pavements
Permeable pavements
5% parking lots and 10% sidewalks (4% of pavements)
Urban trees
Increase tree canopy by 10% absolute
Present Value of City-wide Scenario Costs and
Benefits (through 2056)
Cool Roofs
Cool Roofs +
Bioretention
Cool Roofs +
Rainwater
Harvesting
Green Roofs
PV (Direct
Purchase)
PV (PPA)
Reflective
Pavements
Permeable
Pavements
Urban Trees
TOTAL
$32,318,000
$23,351,000
$16,752,000
$282,957,000
$242,487,000
$499,000
$43,802,000
$13,538,000
$234,846,000
$890,546,000
$23,827,000
$18,169,000
$10,312,000
$194,607,000
$163,019,000
--
$23,537,000
$13,936,000
$136,475,000
$583,879,000
$0
$2,289,000
$6,026,000
$88,214,000
$25,112,000
--
--
$7,263,000
$77,622,000
$206,523,000
$8,491,000
$2,425,000
$140,000
--
$54,192,000
--
$20,265,000
-$7,661,000
$20,750,000
$98,600,000
$0
$469,000
$276,000
$138,000
$167,000
$499,000
--
--
--
$1,546,000
BENEFITS
$236,960,000
$80,048,000
$65,751,000
$563,636,000
$443,693,000
$450,611,000
$112,377,000
$192,130,000
$797,038,000
$2,942,239,000
Energy
$30,658,000
$5,674,000
$2,802,000
$22,103,000
$238,953,000
$33,202,000
$5,014,000
--
$8,352,000
$346,754,000
Financial incentives
--
--
--
--
$65,604,000
--
--
--
--
$65,604,000
Stormwater
--
$32,415,000
$41,482,000
$478,786,000
--
--
--
$191,437,000
$694,775,000
$1,438,893,000
Health
$114,544,000
$14,282,000
$6,669,000
$38,978,000
$65,824,000
$197,472,000
$29,734,000
--
$56,631,000
$524,131,000
Climate change
$91,758,000
$23,349,000
$11,573,000
$11,159,000
$50,341,000
$151,022,000
$77,630,000
--
$37,282,000
$454,110,000
Reduced portable water use
--
--
$15,868,000
--
--
--
--
--
--
$15,868,000
Reduced salt use
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
$693,000
--
$693,000
Employment
--
$4,330,000
$3,227,000
$12,611,000
$22,973,000
$68,917,000
--
--
--
$112,056,000
$204,642,000
$56,697,000
$49,000,000
$280,679,000
$201,206,000
$450,113,000
$68,575,000
$178,592,000
$562,193,000
$2,051,693,000
SOLUTION
COSTS
First cost
Operations and maintenance
Additional replacements
Employment training
NPV
Other Metrics (through 2056): Benefit-to-Cost
Ratio, Employment, Energy and GHG Emissions
SOLUTION
Cool Roofs
Cool Roofs +
Bioretention
Cool Roofs +
Rainwater
Harvesting
Green Roofs
PV (Direct
Purchase)
PV (PPA)
Reflective
Pavements
Permeable
Pavements
Urban Trees
7.33
3.43
3.93
1.99
1.83
Very high
2.57
14.19
3.39
Cool Roofs +
Bioretention
Cool Roofs +
Rainwater
Harvesting
Green Roofs
PV (Direct
Purchase)
PV (PPA)
86
64
250
501
1,503
3.7
3.8
0.9
2.1
N/A
Cool Roofs
Cool Roofs +
Bioretention
Cool Roofs +
Rainwater
Harvesting
Green Roofs
PV (Direct
Purchase)
1,027
-3,451
-5
-42
37
0
260
-380
25
20
5
0
128
-188
12
10
2
0
398
394
92
79
13
0
4,154
0
747
0
0
747
Benefit-to-Cost Ratio
SOLUTION
Job-years created
Job-years creater per $1,000,000 spent
SOLUTION
ENERGY IMPACT
Electricity saved or generated (GWh)
Natural gas saved (MDth)
GHG EMISSIONS IMPACT (KT CO2)
Direct energy-related impact (KT CO2)
Indirect energy-related impact (KT CO2)
Energy generation-related impact (KT CO2)
Cool Roofs
---
Reflective
Pavements
Permeable
Pavements
Urban Trees
TOTAL
---
---
---
4,831
5.4
PV (PPA)
Reflective
Pavements
Permeable
Pavements
Urban Trees
TOTAL
12,463
0
2,241
0
0
2,241
210
-228
22
0
22
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
324
-710
107
21
86
0
18,964
-4,564
3,241
88
165
2,988
Summertime Tourism
• Combination of higher average
heat, greater frequency of extreme
heat, and more air pollution will
make the District less attractive for
tourists in the summer
• Smart surface solutions can help
avoid potential tourism losses
• Net present value of this avoided
loss over the 40-year analysis
period would be $3.1 billion in
visitor spending and $335 million in
District tax revenue.
Image Source: http://data.globalchange.gov/generic/20392d37-44b3-4c2f-8c16-b1423b45f164
Table of Contents
• Background
• Conclusions
• Solutions and Benefits
• Appendix
• Key Assumptions
• Results
Conclusions
• Broad deployment of smart surfaces solutions would cost-effectively
reduce health and energy costs city-wide while increasing
employment, resilience, and livability
• NPV of city-wide adoption of these solutions is $2.05 billion
• The payback times for these solutions vary a great deal
• Cool roofs offer very fast payback, while several other solutions offer the
largest net benefit
• We expect additional non-quantified benefits to the District and its
residents are large and outweigh non-quantified costs
Conclusions (cont.)
• Downwind cooling in the District is likely to be large, including cooling
impact in eastern and northeastern parts of the city
• Summer winds in the District often blow from the south or southwest  urban
cooling in Arlington and Alexandria could lead to significant cooling in the District
• District-wide smart surface deployment could prevent an approximately
$3.1 billion reduction in tourism spending in the District over 40 years,
including $335 million in District tax revenue
• Combined NPV of over $5 billion
• Downwind cooling and tourism show that smart surfaces could have an
even larger benefit in the District than estimated in the report  need for
coordinated adoption of smart surfaces in the broader region.
Sustainable DC Plan Goals
Sustainable DC Plan
action category
Jobs & Economy
Health & Wellness
Smart surface solutions impacts
• Create 2,403 well-paying direct green jobs to District residents over 40 years
• Provide an entry point into the emerging green workforce
• Improve air quality and public health (18% of benefits are from health), creating a healthier environment for District
residents and visitors
Equity & Diversity
• Improve livability, particularly in low income areas that tend have less green cover and have less efficient buildings
Climate &
Environment
• By full implementation, emissions reductions equivalent to 5.5% of 2013 emissions, assuming constant emissions
through the 40-year analysis
• Enhance resilience to climate change by reducing city temperature through UHI mitigation
Built Environment
• Improve sustainability performance of new and existing buildings;
• Create higher quality of life through improved design
Energy
• When fully implemented, reduce electricity purchases from the grid by 8.5% and slightly increase natural gas
purchases by 0.9% relative to 2013 consumption
• Counter the rise in energy consumption due to rising temperatures from climate change
Nature
• Expand tree canopy and other green landscapes to create a District-wide ecosystem
Water
• Reduce stormwater runoff to protect local water bodies;
• Reduce potable water use