Did you know that more than 90 percent of roofs in the U.S. are dark-colored? Dark colors absorb and hold on to heat from the sun, rather than reflecting it. This means that at midday during the summer, dark roofing materials can warm up to between 150 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit! A hot roof can contribute to increased energy use for air conditioning, higher demand for electricity, and reduced comfort indoors.
Viewer Tip: According to EPA, reflective “cool” roofing materials are often comparable, or even less expensive, that traditional roofing materials. And, when energy savings are factored in over the life of a cool roof, they can actually pay for themselves! Cool roofing materials can be used in new construction or when replacing a roof on older buildings. Homeowners have a couple options:
- Reflective tiles are usually made of clay or concrete, and reflect between 10-30 percent of the sun’s energy. Some manufacturers are now able to produce tiles that reflect up to 70 percent of the sun’s energy, but still have traditional colors – brown, green, terra cotta – to eliminate the tradeoff between aesthetics and performance.
- Metal roof products, which reflect radiation from the sun, are also available for residential use. Some manufacturers have developed metal roofs that reflect infrared radiation, keeping the materials even cooler!
Learn more about cool roofing materials at EPA’s Cool Roof Product Information website: www.epa.gov/hiri/strategies/level3_roofproducts.html.
Seasons: Summer, Fall
(Sources:US EPA, Heat Island Reduction Initiative. “Cool Roofs,” http://www.epa.gov/hiri/strategies/coolroofs.html, and “Cool Roof Product Information,” http://www.epa.gov/hiri/strategies/level3_roofproducts.html.)
This entry
is filed under the following topics: Alabama, Alaska, Albany, Albuquerque, Altoona-Johnstown-State College, Arizona, Arkansas, Asheville, Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, California, Casper, Cedar Rapids, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Columbus, Connecticut, Corpus Christi, Dayton, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, District of Columbia, Durham, Erie, Evansville, Flint, Florida, Ft. Myers, Georgia, Grand Rapids, Great Falls, Green Bay, Hartford, Highland Heights, Home and Yard, Houston, Huntsville, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Indianapolis, Iowa, Jackson, Jacksonville, Kansas, Kansas City, Kennewick/Tri-Cities, Kenosha, Kentucky, Lafayette, Lansing-Jackson, Las Vegas, Lexington, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Louisville, Madison, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Memphis, Meridian, Miami, Michigan, Middletown, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missoula, Missouri, Mobile, Montana, Montgomery, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Nebraska, Nevada, New Bern, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New Orleans, New York, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Omaha, Oregon, Orlando, Paducah, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Plentywood, Pocatello-Blackfoot-Idaho Falls, Portland, Portland, Portsmouth-Norfolk-Newport News, Providence, Puerto Rico, Quincy, Redding, Reno, Rhode Island, Richmond, Roanoke, Rochester, Rockford, Saginaw, Salinas, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Juan, Sandpoint, Seattle, Shreveport, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, South Bend, South Carolina, South Dakota, Springfield, Springfield-Eugene, St. Louis, Steubenville, Sun and Heat, Syracuse, Tallahassee, Tennessee, Texas, Toledo, Topeka, Traverse City, Tulsa, Urban Heat Islands, Urbana, Virginia, Washington, West Palm Beach, West Virginia, Wheeling, Wichita, Winchester, Wisconsin, Woodbury, Wyoming.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
