News Highlights

-Our recent paper on cool walls published in Environmental Science and Technology was used as the basis to formulate a new national-scale building credit for LEED! Based on our research, the US Green Building Council now gives LEED building credits for using cool walls to reduce building energy consumption and mitigate urban heat islands. More here. (May 2021)

-Very proud to have contributed a chapter to the LA100 (LA 100% Renewable Energy Study) Final Report. This large interdisciplinary study (with National Renewable Energy Laboratory) investigated various pathways for Los Angeles to achieve 100% renewable energy over the next decades. We led the analysis related to assessing urban air pollution co-benefits of transitioning to a clean energy future in LA. Overall, the study showed that achieving 100% renewable energy is achievable, and led to the mayor of Los Angeles announcing that all power for Los Angeles is to be generated from renewable sources by 2035! (March 2021)

-Our paper was listed as one of the 100 most discussed papers in 2020 (in any field)!! The study was led by Mo Chen, a PhD student co-advised by Ban-Weiss and Prof. Kelly Sanders. The study, Impacts of urban warming on residential electricity use for vulnerable populations in Southern California, was published in Environmental Research Letters.

-Ban-Weiss interviewed in this BBC video, “The heat gap dividing a major U.S. city” (December 2020)

-Our research on quantifying air conditioner prevalence using smart meter data was mentioned in LA Times, “As second heat wave sears California, experts say health impacts will worsen with climate change” (September 2020)

-Ban-Weiss quoted in this GRIST article about making air conditioning more climate friendly, “How air conditioning could keep everyone cool without cooking the planet” (September 2020)

-Ban-Weiss quoted in Washington Post Article about the impacts of swimming pools (and other bodies of water) on urban climate, “Swimming pools are supposed to offer relief. Do they actually make the air more humid?” (August 2020)

-Ban-Weiss receives the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Junior Research Award (May 2020)

-Our research on quantifying air conditioning penetration rates using smart meter data, led by PhD student Mo Chen (and co-advised by Prof Kelly Sanders) was highlighted in LA Times, “Coronavirus could worsen death toll of summer heat waves, health officials warn” (May 2020)

-Ban-Weiss is promoted to Associate Professor with tenure!! (March 2020)

-Ban-Weiss was a guest on NPR Science Friday with Ira Flatow, “Hot enough for you? Cooling the worsening urban heat island” (June 2019)

-Our research was mentioned in this LA Times article, “L.A. takes climate change fight to the streets by pouring cooler pavement” (April 2019)

-Our research was highlighted (along with two quotes by Ban-Weiss) in this Washington Post article, “As temperatures keep trending up, ‘heat belt’ cities maneuver to stay livable” (August 2018)

-Ban-Weiss invited to present his group’s research at the National Academy of the Sciences in D.C.  The goal of the workshop was to help cities and states learn from California about conducting policy-relevant climate research with actionable outcomes. (August 2018)

-Ban-Weiss receives the American Geophysical Union (AGU), Global Environmental Change Early Career Award! See here (July 2018)

-Congrats to Trevor Krasowsky, Ban-Weiss’ first PhD student, for winning the William F. Ballhaus “Best Dissertation” Award out of over 160 engineering graduates!! See here (May 2018)

-Our research was highlighted in Science News, “Are we ready for the deadly heat waves of the future?” (April 2018)

-Ban-Weiss receives the Pasquale and Adelina Arpea Early Career Chair (March 2018)

-Ban-Weiss receives the NSF Early CAREER Award!!! (Jan 2018)

-Ban-Weiss and his grad student Arash Mohegh were interviewed and featured during this piece on NPR, “What you need to know about LA’s urban heat problem”

-Our research was mentioned in this article at Gizmodo, “The Radical Plan to Cool Down LA as the World Heats Up”

-Ban-Weiss was quoted in the New York Times in an article about cool pavements in Los Angeles.

-Here is a nice article in the Huffington Post that summarizes a music concert that Ban-Weiss instigated and played bass in that investigates our relationship to the environment through song. Here’s another article from USC.

-Our recent publications on the urban heat island effect and the efficacy of cool roofs in Los Angeles were highlighted in another article in LA Times. Also hear a couple ~10 minute live interviews on Southern California Public Radio (KPCC and KCRW).

-Our recent publication on the climate impacts of adopting drought tolerant vegetation highlighted in the LA Times. Also hear a 6-minute interview on Southern California Public Radio (KPCC) here. It was also featured as an EOS Research Spotlight, and there’s another article at KQED.

-Ban-Weiss listed as one of the world’s top 35 innovators under the age of 35 by MIT Tech Review

-See Ban-Weiss at MIT’s EmTech conference using music to describe how we can combat the impacts of climate change (link)