With Cool White Roofs, Hunter’s Purple Goes Green

Hunter, already cool in so many ways, now has Cool Roofs.

On May 31, as the outside temperature soared, Hunter President Jennifer Raab and Undergraduate Student Government President Ben Joson led a celebratory group in the first strokes of a significant environmental venture - applying a reflective white coating to the roof of the College's West Building. Also participating in the rooftop kickoff were Ron Spalter, CUNY's Chief Operating Officer; Diahann Billings-Burford, New York City's Chief Service Officer; Gina Bocra, the NYC Department of Buildings' Chief Sustainability Officer; and Frances Resheske, Con Edison's Senior Vice President of Public Affairs. Later that day, a group of Hunter students enthusiastically headed to the roof to continue the paintjob.

By lowering temperatures on the roof and inside the building, the white coating will reduce the College's energy consumption, carbon emissions and cooling costs. "This is a continuation of our commitment to make Hunter's purple go green," President Raab said as she welcomed the rooftop crowd. She noted that the College is also coating the roofs of the East Building on 68^th Street and the elementary and high school building uptown. Students are actively involved in those efforts as well.

Hunter's project is an important contribution to the New York City CoolRoofs Initiative, which aims to paint a million square feet of rooftop across the five boroughs each year. This innovative program is one of the many ways the city is fulfilling its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

Click this link to view photos from the event.