George S. May Business Blog

California adopts a “cooler car” regulation to cut greenhouse gas emissions

In order to keep cars cooler, thereby cutting down the use of air conditioning, thereby increasing fuel efficiency, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the California Air Resources Board has adopted a regulation that, starting in 2012, will require new cars sold in California to have windows that reflect or absorb heat-producing rays from the sun.

The plan, when executed, hopes to prevent around 700,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, yearly, by 2020. To put that in perspective that would be the same as taking 140,000 cars of the road for that year.

This is the follow up to the proposed reflective paint legislation. In an earlier post, I wrote about how California’s Air Resources Board had been contemplating passing a measure that would impose strict regulation when it came to the reflectivity of new cars’ paint. In fact, it was rumored that California may ban black paint all together on cars as there is not a black color on the market currently that can pass the reflective test. But durability concerns, for the most part, sent those talks away shortly after as it was determined the paint technology was not ready.

From ARB Chairman Mary Nichols:

“This is a common-sense and cost-effective measure that will help cool the cars we drive and fight global warming. It represents the kind of innovative thinking we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our vehicles and steer our economy toward a low-carbon future.”

The regulation will be imposed in two steps:

• Over a three-year period starting in 2012 windows in new cars sold in California must prevent 45% of the sun’s total heat-producing energy from entering the car, with the windshield rejecting at least 50% of the sun’s energy.
• In 2016 car manufacturers will be required to install windows in new cars sold in California that prevent at least 60% of the sun’s heat-producing rays from entering the cars interior, or propose alternative technologies to achieve an equivalent result.

The immediate cost vs. savings ratio is definitely not in favor of the consumer. Costs for the windows are expected to average $70 for the 2012 standard, and about $250 for the 2016 standard, with annual savings in gas of $16 and $20 respectively. Then again this one of those “big picture” type of expenditures and paying a couple hundred bucks to help keep this earth from frying up on generations ahead of us, is a small price to pay.

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