The findings reported here might be of interest to some of you, especially if you are considering buying a car or repainting yours:
Cool Science: Cool Cars | Heat Island Group | heatisland.lbl.gov
Here's the core point:
Quote:
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A light-colored or cool-colored car shell reflects more sunlight than a traditional dark car shell. This cools the cabin air and reduces the need for air conditioning. A recent study found that after parking in the sun for an hour, a silver Honda Civic (shell SR 0.57) had a cabin air temperature about 5-6°C (9-11°F) lower than an otherwise identical black car (shell SR 0.05). Modeling indicates that substituting a silver (or white) shell for a black shell would allow the specification of a 13% smaller (lower capacity) air conditioner, improving fuel economy.
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The site cites this study for the above information:
Levinson R, Pan H, Ban-Weiss G, Rosado P, Paolini R, Akbari H., "Potential benefits of solar reflective car shells: Cooler cabins, fuel savings and emission reductions," Applied Energy (2011).
http://heatisland.lbl.gov/publicatio...-and-emission-