The Benefits of Cool Roofing Materials for Energy Savings

The energy prices are steadily increasing and homeowners seek the means to cut down on utility bills. The use of cool roofing materials is an award-winning solution that reduces the cost of cooling as well as the environmental influence. It is good to know the way these new materials perform so that you can make informed decisions regarding your roof.

What Are Cool Roofing Materials?

Cool roofs do not necessarily mean white paint. These are special purpose systems, crafted to reflect sunlight and absorb heat on a vastly less scale.

Definition and Types of Cool Roofs

The cool roof reflects more sunlight as compared to traditional roofs, however, absorbs less sun energy, just like light-colored clothes will make you feel cooler on hot days. Dark roofs may attain a temperature that is more than 150°F whereas cool roofs remain much cooler.

These roofs are available in different styles of residential and commercial buildings. Single-ply membranes are applicable in flat roofs and reflective roofing shingles are applicable in sloping residential use. Cool roofing can be metal roofing including reflective coating, light colored clay or concrete tiles and special coating of the roof.

How Cool Roofing Works

There are two important properties that cool roofs employ, solar reflectance and thermal emittance. Solar reflectance is the ability of the roof to bounce back the amount of sunlight instead of absorbing it. Thermal emittance refers to the efficiency of the roof in giving out absorbed heat.

High-performance cool roofs have a combination of the two. Their reflectance reaches up to 90 per cent of sunlight but absorbs the heat rapidly. This twofold effect keeps the buildings a lot cooler and saves the strain on the air conditioners.

Common Cool Roofing Materials

TPO ( Thermoplastic Polyolefin ) TPO roof is economical and energy saving as it reflects sunlight to minimize the use of energy in cooling but is also durable and tear and impact resistant. It is commonly used on commercial flat roofs and the average life is 15-20 years.

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)

PVC membranes are very chemical resistant, and durable. Both PVC and TPO are heat reflective and both can last 20 years with correct installation and maintenance. PVC is more expensive though it is more effective in grease and oils as compared to TPO.

Cool Asphalt Shingles

These residential shingles contain unique reflective granules which reflect back the solar heat. They resemble traditional shingles but they are much better in hot climates.

Metal Roofing 

Reflective metal roofing which has special coatings are very durable and energy efficient. Metal roofs have the potential of reducing summer time energy costs up to 40 percent.

Reflective Coatings 

These coatings when applied to existing roofs make regular roofs cool inexpensively. They are applied to different materials and offer better performance over a number of years.

Energy Savings With Cool Roofing

Less energy and low utility bills are the greatest advantage of cool roofs.

Slashing Cooling Costs

The air conditioning energy requirements of single-story buildings can be saved by up to 15 percent in cool roofs, which in turn will result in significant savings in energy bills. In warm climates, the range of annual savings on residential property is 200-600.

Even more savings occur in commercial buildings since the areas of their roofs are much larger. The demand peaks reduce due to the fact that air conditioners do not operate as hard during the hotest periods of the day. With a better HVAC system, the system operates less frequently and at a smaller capacity, which increases its lifespan.

Boosting Home Energy Efficiency

Cool roofs reduce heat transfer into your home. Less heat entering through the roof means:

• Reduce attic temperatures to 20-50°F.
• Less thermal stress on HVAC.
• Even temperatures indoors.
• Reduced load on the insulation systems.
• Better building envelope performance.

Energy saving roofs are an addition to adequate insulation and ventilation which makes a complete thermal management system of your house.

Real-World Results

Department of Energy research demonstrates thatthere are tangible benefits in a variety of climates. Cooling costs in phoenix, Arizona were reduced by 25-35% on buildings that received cool roofs. The 10-15% energy savings in warm months was common in buildings in moderate climates such as San Francisco.

Thousands of installations around the country are traced by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which proved that cool roofs can provide the same level of energy savings in various buildings types and regions.

Environmental Benefits of Cool Roofs

Cool roofs also serve to improve the environment in general beyond the individual savings.

Fighting Urban Heat Islands

City temperatures are high because surfaces in cities absorb heat whereas in the countryside, surfaces do not absorb heat hence the areas are cool. This urban heat island effect leads to energy consumption, air and health hazards. The cool roofs fight this by reflecting the heat, instead of absorbing it.

The mass deployment of cool roofs will help reduce the urban temperature by 2-5°F, which will enhance the quality of air and reduce the formation of smog. This communal cooling effect does not discriminate between individual buildings but the whole communities.

Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Less energy usage implies the minimization of the amount of power plants emitting greenhouse gases. The effect of the thousands of cool roofs when used on buildings is enormous.

A decreased peak electricity demand means that inefficient peaker power generation plants that are used during periods of high demand are not required. These companies tend to use fossil fuels and make an unequal contribution to emissions.

Supporting Sustainable Building

Cool roofs are green building certified such as LEED and ENERGY STAR. They show adherence to sustainable construction and help to achieve building code energy demands.

The adoption of cool roofs on new buildings and large renovations is receiving incentives or even mandatory in many municipalities, as cool roofs are known to be beneficial to the environment and to human health.

Additional Advantages of Cool Roofing Materials

The positive effect of these materials is not limited to saving of energy.

Longer Roof Lifespan

Energy-saving roofs are also cost-saving because HVAC systems do not need to work so hard, and the roofs have a longer life. Repeated heating and cooling causes stress to the roofing materials which in the long run is damaging.

Cool roofs show less temperature variations, which prevent expansion and contractions, which lead to creation of cracks and material wear. This will improve roof life by 5-10 years in most instances and postpone expensive replacements.

Enhanced Indoor Comfort

Reduced attic temperatures provide better living conditions particularly in rooms on the second floor. Air conditioning systems regulate temperatures much easier, eliminating hot spots and making the entire building much more comfortable.

The control of the temperature is also better allowing better air quality. When the HVAC systems are more efficient, they have a better filtration system and control the humidity level.

Financial Incentives Available

Cool roof installation is encouraged by lots of utility companies, state programs and federal tax credits. Installation costs can be rebated at 10-30 percent. See Database of State Incentives Renewables and Efficiency to see what is available in your region.

There are insurance companies that provide discounts on their premiums on energy efficient homes with cool roofs. Such savings are accumulated into the financial gains in the long term.

Choosing the Right Cool Roofing Material

To choose the most appropriate one, it is necessary to take into consideration various factors with regards to your case.

Key Considerations

Climate: Cool roofs are best used in hot and sunny climates. Yet, during cold climates, take into consideration the expense of winter heating–dark roofs give you some good heat during winter.

Roof Type: Flat or low-slope roofs are usually made out of TPO or PVC. The residential roofs that are sloping will use cool shingles, metal or tiles.

Budget: The cheapest shingles and coatings are asphalt cool. Metal and PVC systems are expensive but have a longer life. Divide the prices of installations and other lifecycle costs.

Building Use: Commercial buildings that have high cooling requirements have shorter payback. Hot climate residential homes also have a lot in common.

Comparing Options

TPO is the most suitable choice in regards to commercial flat roofs- cheap and of good performance. PVC is pricier but it has a high level of chemical resistance when used in restaurants or industrial buildings.

In case of sloped roof homes, the cool asphalt shingles offer the same appearances but with better performance. Metal roofing is more expensive at first, though has a life span of 40-50 years with little maintenance.

Reflective coatings can be used to lengthen current roofs and provide cool roof properties at very low expense.

Professional Installation Matters

Cool roofs are supposed to be installed by experts. Poor installation negates warranty and efficacy. Employ licensed and experienced contractors who have been doing cool roofing.

Most cool roofing systems are not to be installed by the DIY process. Membrane roofing involves special equipments and skills. It even requires an understanding of surface preparation, methods of application, and the constraints of products to apply reflections to surfaces properly.

Conclusion: 

The benefits of cool roofing materials are not limited to reducing your energy bill, but are instead a new way your home or building relates to the world. Reflecting the sunlight, cutting heat gain and lightening the burden on the HVAC systems, they provide tangible benefits as well as increasing the life span of the roofs and making the interiors more comfortable. At a bigger level, they assist in the fight against urban heat islands, minimize greenhouse gases, and sustainable building.

Frequently Asked Questions