Evaluation of different types of technologies for mitigating the Urban Heat Island

In recent years, Urban Heat Island (UHI) has become a serious problem. Accordingly, patent applications concerned with UHI have been increasing. In Japan, over 600 patent applications concerned with UHI were submitted to Japan Patent Office from 2011 to 2016. Based on this background, this research aims (1) to survey UHI-related patents and organize information on technologies concerned with mitigation of UHI in Germany, and (2) to analyse and evaluate the effects of different technologies for mitigating UHI in Germany. Findings of this research may offer a suggestion which technologies should be adopted for mitigating UHI depending on the climate of the city. Then it would lead to giving a boost to adequate technological development for mitigating UHI, which would finally contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation and the ‘Energiewende’ (=energy transition). To achieve above objectives, it is assumed to conduct a survey based on interviews of experts in Germany on patents, green roofs and other technologies for mitigating UHI. Data obtained from these interviews will be classified according to types or technologies, then analysed and assessed for the effects of mitigating UHI respectively. These data will provide information on technologies regarding UHI in Germany. Data from experiments with UHI-related technologies such as green roofs etc. will be either acquired or made available from existing studies as far as possible. These data will be included in the analysis and overall assessment of UHI mitigation technologies in Germany.