COOL ROOFS VOLUNTEER GUIDE 512 City-County Building Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219 (412) 255-2280 fax: (412) 255-2988 servepgh@pittsburghpa.gov pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh City-County Building 414 Grant Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 20 The City of Pittsburgh does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, sexual orientation, familial status, age (40 & over), or non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law. pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh facebook.com/city.of.pittsburgh twitter.com/citypgh 1 servepgh@pittsburghpa.gov
Q: What should I wear if I am volunteering? A: You should wear cool, lightly colored clothing as well as rubber-soled shoes. Don t forget to bring a hat and sunscreen! Q: How physically demanding is the coating of rooftops? A: All volunteers should be in good health and prepared to work in the sun. If you would like volunteer but are unable to contribute by painting the roofs, other volunteer opportunities are available on-site. Q: Will Cool Roofs significantly increase heating bills in the winter?? A: No, Cool Roofs may slightly increase heating bills during cold weather; however, the amount is normally minimal compared to the energy savings during the summer. 2 19
FAQ'S Q: What is Cool Roofs? A: Cool Roofs is a new green initiative that focuses on reducing energy consumption in our city. By coating a reflective white paint on the roofs of City buildings, the City of Pittsburgh aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45 metric tons. With the help of volunteers, we plan to paint over 50,000 sq. ft. of city roofs, and expect the average electricity use of each building to decrease by 10%-15% after painting. Cool Roofs is an eco-friendly solution to energy reduction and a greener Pittsburgh. Q: Why was Cool Roofs created? A: Modeled after a similar successful program in New York City, Cool Roofs was created to reduce energy use of City-buildings in an effort to create a greener, more efficient Pittsburgh. Not only is Cool Roofs eco-friendly, it is anticipated that Cool Roofs will allow the City to save thousands per year in taxpayer dollars. Q: Who can participate in Cool Roofs? A: Because Cool Roofs involves painting on roofs, adults over the age of 18 and skilled volunteers are encouraged to volunteer. Please contact servepgh@pittsburghpa.gov if your organization is interested in volunteering! Q: Where are the Cool Roofs paintings scheduled? A: All of our Cool Roofs painting schedules can be found at http:// pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh/cool-roofs. COOL ROOFS WILL PROVIDE PITTSBURGH WITH MORE SUSTAINABLE AND EFFICIENT BUILDINGS WHICH WILL REDUCE THE CITY'S CARBON FOOTPRINT. 18 3
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SAFETY Volunteer safety is our top priority and there are a number of important safety guidelines to follow while working on roofs: Being on a roof should be taken seriously. Stay alert! Stay hydrated. Wear sunscreen. Wear closed toed shoes. Wear appropriate clothing, which you would not mind getting paint on. Bring and wear sunglasses! When the top coat is applied it will be very bright as it is intended to reflect the sun s radiation. Be careful when working around the ledge of all roofs and maintain a safe distance from all ledges. Please Note: When painting a ledge without a parapet make sure to use the telescoping roller handles in order to keep your body at least 6 ft. from the edge. One person on a ladder at a time. A roofer will be present at all times. Do not climb any ladder without proper supervision and support. Please be forthcoming with any information regarding any medical condition or concern which may affect your ability to perform. Please Note: Depending on the circumstance you may be asked to assist in a way tailored to your capacity. Please do not put yourself at risk of injury if you are using any medication that may inhibit your performance. If you are feeling uncertain about a situation, ask before you act. Practice common sense and don't be afraid to ask for clarification or help. Be aware that you can say "NO" to a task when you feel the request is inappropriate, beyond your skill level, or if you perceive a situation to be unsafe. CONTENTS Introduction 6 About 8 Why Volunteer? 10 Impact 12 Average Painting Day Agenda 14 Safety 16 FAQ's 18 This list is not exhaustive. Always follow the rules and regulations of a Cool Roofs site supervisor. 16 5
INTRODUCTION Mayor Luke Ravenstahl s Office of Service & Civic Engagement and Office of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency would like to thank you for volunteering to work on his Cool Roofs initiative! Cool Roofs is an exciting new program that will reduce the City of Pittsburgh s carbon footprint in an effort to make Pittsburgh a greener, sustainable city. Cool Roofs will provide Pittsburgh with more sustainable and efficient Cityowned buildings by reducing energy use and costs, thereby reducing the City s carbon footprint. Cool Roofs will continue the Mayor s greening efforts, complimenting existing programs such as Green Up Pittsburgh, Green Up Pittsburgh Edible Gardens, Civic Leaf Academy, and others. Cool Roofs will contribute to Pittsburgh s overall plan to reduce energy usage in City-owned buildings by 20% from 2010-2015, and to further reduce our city s greenhouse gas emissions. 6 With your help, Cool Roofs will coat 50,000 square feet of City-owned rooftops with a reflective, white paint that will lower internal building temperatures by up to 30%, reducing the City s CO2e emissions by approximately 45 metric tons. This work will also reduce the urban heat island effect in Pittsburgh, contribute to air quality improvements, and extend the lifespan of roofs and HVAC equipment. 15
AVERAGE PAINTING DAY AGENDA The schedule below is a template for a Cool Roof painting day. Please note: All agendas and schedules are tentative and subject to change based on weather conditions. 8:30-9:00 Arrival/Setup First shift of volunteers arrive and 1. Locate the service site supervisor to check in 2. Sign waivers 3. Discuss project goals. 9:00 Safety Speech/Orientation 9:30 Primer Coat Applied Primer coat typically takes about 1 hour to cure/dry. If enough volunteers are present, volunteers will be split into groups One group will paint while the other picks up area litter 11:00 First Top Coat Applied First top coat typically takes 2-4 hours to dry. 12:30 Lunch The first shift of volunteers may leave at this time and are welcome to return to paint the second top coat. 3:30 Second Top Coat Applied Second shift of volunteers arrive. 14 7
ABOUT Cities of Service & servepgh Founded in New York City in September 2009, Cities of Service supports mayors who leverage citizen service strategies, addressing local needs and making government more effective. The coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges. By obtaining a Cities of Service grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and Rockefeller Foundation, Mayor Ravenstahl launched servepgh in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh s citizens in service and to answer President Obama s national call to volunteerism. Through new and innovative servepgh initiatives, the Mayor has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize close to over 600 City blocks, restore vulnerable residents homes, help middle-school youth navigate life s challenges, clean up over 35,000 pounds of litter, and more. To date, over 3,700 volunteers have committed over 32,000 hours of service through servepgh. Office of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency In October 2008, Mayor Ravenstahl hired the City's first-ever Sustainability Coordinator and created the Office of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency to provide guidance on greening the City's operations and facilities. The Sustainability Coordinator is tasked with implementing the municipal recommendations of the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, adopted in August 2008, as well as collaborating with individuals from all departments to strengthen existing environmental initiatives and ensure that sustainability is integrated into all City operations. Since its creation, the office has led initiatives to reduce energy use in City-owned buildings, utilize solar energy in City operations and involve citizens through activities like recycling and tree planting. 1Cool Roofs reduces cooling costs Cool Roofs lowers roof temperature, which lowers building temperature. Subsequently, this reduces the amount of energy needed to cool the building with air conditioning, fans, etc. 2Cool Roofs increases roof longevity Temperature fluctuations cause roofs to expand and contract. This temperature fluctuation damages the roofs over time. Cool Roofs experience less temperature fluctuation and less damage over time. 3Cool Roofs reduces the urban heat island effect Have you ever noticed why urban environments seem hotter in the summer than their rural counterparts? This is because of the urban heat island effect. Because of the high concentration of dark material, urban environments can experience a temperature increase of up to five degrees. Cool Roofs combats the urban heat island effect by reducing the concentration of dark sunlight absorbing surfaces. 4Other Benefits Cool Roofs reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution by lowering the demand for energy use. Buildings with Cool Roofs do not need to use their cooling or HVAC equipment as much, therefore, this equipment experiences improved longevity. 8 13
IMPACT OF COOL ROOFS Conventional roofs are typically dark and retain sunlight as heat. When the temperature rises, roofs absorb heat. This absorption of heat increases roof temperatures, building cooling costs, and local temperatures in urban settings because of the urban heat island effect. Cool Roofs reduces these effects. In its first year, the Cool Roofs initiative will: Coat the roofs of ten City-owned buildings, approximately 50,000 square feet. Reduce average electricity used in these building by 10-15% per month. Reduce CO2e emissions in Pittsburgh by 45 metric tons and reduce the urban heat island effect. 12 Engage 200 volunteers serve Mayor Ravenstahl s PGH 9
WHY VOLUNTEER? In 2009, Pittsburgh became a founding city of Cities of Service. Cities of Service is a bipartisan coalition of more than 150 cities across the nation who have committed to work together to engage citizens to address critical city needs through impact volunteerism. As a City of Service, Pittsburgh values the tremendous impacts that volunteers have on communities. Pittsburgh s volunteer culture is an essential force in tackling some of our City's most pressing challenges. You can become a part of this essential force through the Cool Roofs initiative, where volunteers commit to reduce the carbon emissions of Pittsburgh by coating roofs with a special reflective paint. Volunteers apply the primer and paint to each roof to ensure that each building reduces its emissions and Pittsburgh takes another step to becoming a greener city! 10 11