Report Says Sustainable Infrastructure Could Improve Washington

WASHINGTON — A report released Dec. 7 by Capital E, a Washington-based consulting firm that works with companies to create and improve their commitment to sustainability, claims the nation’s capital could save up to $5 billion annually by instituting the best practices in green building in and around the city.

Report authors Greg Kats, president of Capital E, and Keith Glassbrook, a graduate associate at Capital E, wrote that installing features like solar panels, porous pavements and LED lights could benefit Washington residents by lowering temperatures during summer months and improving air quality for the city as well as surrounding communities. These sustainable features could help to reduce the cost of energy by 8.5 percent, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5.5 percent and create more than 2,400 green jobs, according to the report.

“Increasing summer heat and smog threaten city livability and summer tourists,” said Kats in the report. “This report provides a powerful framework to combat climate change while improving public health and saving money.”

One of the major contributing factors to poor air quality and high temperatures is the approximate 61 square miles of paved surfaces and rooftops located in Washington. This large amount of paving creates what is known as the heat island effect, which typically affects low-income housing development residents the most. These low-income communities are often built with environmentally inefficient infrastructure and are constructed on top of one another with no space in between.

To combat increased urban temperatures, the report calls for the installation of cool and green roofs across the city. Cool roofs are designed with a higher solar reflectance and absorb less solar radiation. They also reduce heat transfer to the building below, meaning less energy is required to cool the building.

Green roofs combat the issue of drainage that most urban environments face and work to keep buildings cool through evapotranspiration and shading. They also have higher thermal mass than traditional roofs, meaning green roofs take longer to heat up and cool down, according to the report.

The report also calls for the installation of permeable pavements across the city that will allow water to be absorbed rather than deflected into sewers and drains. In Washington, permeable pavements could be used for sidewalks, driveways, patios, parking lots, parking lanes, alleys and low traffic roads, according to the report.

Whether or not these sustainable features will be incorporated into Washington’s urban planning has yet to be determined. Regardless, Kats believes that if the city were to follow these design trends it could help improve the quality of life for its residents while also saving the city money.