31 ‘White Roofs’ Completed This Year... Busan City: “Lowers Indoor Temperature by 4-5 Degrees, Cuts Cooling Costs”

The city of Busan (Mayor Park Hyungjoon) will complete the “White Roof Installation Support Project” at 31 locations this year as part of its efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

As of this year, the city has finished installations at 30 sites and announced on the 28th that it plans to wrap up the year’s project by completing one additional site next month.

The “White Roof Installation Support Project” involves applying white paint with high sunlight reflectivity to the rooftops of homes for vulnerable groups and community facilities, lowering indoor temperatures by 4 to 5 degrees Celsius. The project is recognized for its effects in reducing cooling energy consumption, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and alleviating the urban heat island phenomenon.

Workers are painting the roof with bright-colored paint.

Since 2019, the city has carried out the project annually, completing installations at a cumulative total of 173 locations as of this year.

This year’s project was implemented through a public-private partnership, with the Busan Architects Association (volunteer work), Busan Bank (installation cost support), Noroo Paint (material donation), Korean Red Cross (administrative support), and Korea Productivity Center Certification Institute (demonstration work) all participating.

The city plans to expand the project next year to promote the creation of green buildings. Applications for the 2026 project will be accepted through the architectural departments of each district and county at the end of this year. The city aims to encourage citizen participation and private sector involvement to further spread the practice of carbon neutrality.

Bae Seongtaek, Director of the Housing and Architecture Bureau of Busan, stated, “The White Roof Installation Support Project has become a tangible example of carbon neutrality that keeps the region cool and is felt by citizens,” adding, “We will continue to promote the project to help improve energy welfare and enhance residential environments.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.