This is a little something I wrote up for my internship at the Center for Climate Change Communication/Climate Communication Consortium of Maryland, for a fact sheet that goes out with some media materials each month for the consortium members. This month the focus was extreme heat, and this fact sheet is about cool roofs! (The installation of which is one way to reduce extreme heat). It has had to be edited down quite a bit for publication through CCCoM, but I wanted to publish it in its complete form on here, and I doubt they will mind since the final copy will be so different than this one once I finish editing it (but I like this version better!). Enjoy!
Consider the Cool Roof
Want
to reduce your energy costs and cool your home, all while helping the environment
and even cooling your neighborhood? Think about installing a cool roof!
Traditional
dark roofs made of asphalt shingles or other dark substances like tar, cause
roofs to absorb the sun’s energy and heat, which in turn conducts heat to your
house or apartment. This hot roof can even increase the temperature in the
surrounding neighborhood, creating a “heat island effect,” which is a term used
to describe how urban areas are generally hotter than rural areas due to the
increased amount of dark surfaces that absorb heat like roads, parking lots,
and roofs. This heat difference means that cities can be around 5 degrees
hotter than rural areas during the day, and up to 22 degrees hotter at night
(EPA). One way to counter this effect is with cool roofs.
What
Is a Cool Roof?
A cool
roof is a roof that is coated with a special white paint and lining, a roof
with a special UV-reflecting coating, or simply a roof with tiles that are a
cooler color than the traditional black. All of these types of roofs reflect more
of the sun’s rays, keeping your home and neighborhood cooler.
Benefits
of a Cool Roof:
- · A cool roof is generally 50-60 degrees cooler than a traditional dark-colored roof (EPA). This means that if you have a cool roof, less heat is being conducted into your home, so your home will be naturally cooler on those hot summer days.
- · A cool roof saves you money: A cool roof can significantly reduce air conditioning costs, by an average of 20% (EPA). Also, if you live in Montgomery County, you can apply for and receive an energy efficiency tax credit from the Dept. of the Treasury for up to $250 for installing a cool roof (Michael Parent of the Division of the Treasury-Montgomery County)--that’s money directly in your pocket for helping the environment!
- · Increase the life-span and durability of your roof: some cool roofs will seal and prevent leaks, and many are easily maintained with a one-layer recoat after 10-15 years.
- · Help save the environment: A cool roof reduces pollution by reducing the amount of energy required to cool your home, meaning you are reducing the amount of fossil fuels you use.
Can I
Install a Cool Roof on Any Roof?
The
slope of your roof determines what kind of cool roof you are eligible for. - · A flat roof, for example the roof of a townhouse, condo, or apartment building, can be converted by spraying a thick cool-colored or white coating over your current roof. Additives in this coating improve their adhesion, durability, suppression of algae and fungal growth, and ability to self-wash, or shed dirt under normal rainfall, meaning your nice white roof won’t turn dingy over time. If you have a flat roof and you want to convert it, simply search for white or cool roofs to look for an installer in your area. In California, installers are common, but they are also available nationwide. In Maryland specifically, you can have a cool roof installed by calling Maryland Civic Works at 410-366-8533.
- · For a traditional home, or a neighborhood with an HOA, try cool-colored tiles for a cool roof. These tiles look no different than traditional dark roofs, but they contain pigments that reflect solar energy in the infrared spectrum. You can get these tiles in traditional colors of brown, green, and terracotta, and there are even asphalt tiles that reflect almost as much solar energy (up to 65%). Energy Star has a rating system for these types of tiles, listed on their website.
“Cool
Roofing translates into considerable energy savings, reduced air pollution and
emissions, and increased durability” –US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
