Image By: Daniel Oines

It’s never too early to start preparing for those grueling, summer months.

In the hopes of keeping its parking lot cooler, The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Northern California has coated large segments of pavement with a heat-reflecting paint. The paint, which is commercially available, can bring the temperature down in a parking lot by up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Many cities across the United States have adopted the idea of heat-reflecting paint as it cuts down on the electricity used for air conditioning and helps combat global warming. According to Haley Gilbert, a research assistant at the laboratory, the special paint can also improve air quality:

“Across an entire city, small changes in air temperature could be a huge benefit as it can slow the formation of smog.”

With pavement making up 35-50% of the surfaces in large cities, this may be a trend we see more of in the next few years.

Have you seen it in your city? Let us know in the comments below.