ConclusionsThis study contributes three developments to research on pavement albedo and thermal performance: (1) a new albedo measurement system, (2) new data documenting differences in albedo across pavement types and over pavement surfaces, and (3) a correlation between cooling effect of increased albedo and solar radiation.A new albedo measurement system using a dual-pyranometer and automatic data collection system was developed. It can be used to conveniently measure albedo in the field and perform long-term monitoring of albedo when connected to a data acquisition system.Albedo was measured for commonly used paving materials including asphalt, concrete and interlocking concrete paver surfacing materials, with different designs. These new data enhance basic knowledge on albedo values for pavements as well as the other land cover types measured (gravel, soil, and lawn), which can help reduce the uncertainty in understanding, evaluating and modeling their thermal behavior and their consequences for human thermal comfort and building energy use.This study found that the measured albedo of pavement materials is high in the early morning and in the late afternoon; it is low and constant over time in the mid-day. This suggests that the albedo should be measured in the mid-day of a clear day to obtain a stable and conservative value. No significant seasonal variation in albedo was found. Pavement albedo will change over time under weathering and trafficking, especially in the first month after construction. Cloud cover will negatively influence the value of albedo measured. No impact of wind speed or air temperature on albedo is observed.Albedo has great influence on the pavement surface high temperatures in the daytime and no significant impact on pavement low temperatures in nighttime. An empirical relationship between the cooling effect of increased albedo on a pavement high temperature and solar radiation was developed. The cooling effect has a positive correlation with the peak solar radiation intensity in daytime. This simple correlation can help estimate the cooling effect of increased albedo or heating effect of reduced albedo on pavement for various climates and seasons with different solar radiation.