Reducing the ozone and smog content in the local environment will greatly enhance the overall quality of air within the city.
At a recent BURSI seminar, a number of questions were asked regarding the use of energy as it relates to the cooling of our cities. As energy costs continue to rise and shortages occur, these concerns will escalate. As a result, building owners will look at the things they can do to save energy costs and minimize the impact of the urban heat island.
In Los Angeles, for every 1 degree of temperature rise above 70 degrees F, the smog will increase by 3 percent. Therefore at 95 degrees F, all days are smoggy. Also, power usage increases by 2 percent for every degree F increase. This urban “heat island” literally creates an island of warmer air, which impedes the progress of the normal local weather systems. Reducing the ozone and smog content in the local environment will greatly enhance the overall quality of air within the city.