Your commercial roofing system has the important responsibility of protecting your building from the elements. If it’s installed and maintained properly, a new roof should provide years of guarding your commercial facility against the forces of nature. And if you’re in the market for a new roofing system, there are other benefits you can realize by installing a highly reflective, “cool” roof.
The market for cool roofing has grown strongly in recent years, primarily driven by single-ply thermoplastic systems. In contrast with more traditional dark or black roofing products, these membranes are white or light-colored and highly reflective.
Reflective single-ply roofing membranes can reduce a commercial building’s energy consumption by as much as 40%, depending on the building’s location, design and other factors.
Cool roofs help decrease the amount of solar heat that enters the building and also reduce the cooling load on HVAC equipment that’s mounted on the roof. That’s because, on a hot day, the surface of a white reflective roof may be only a few degrees warmer than the surrounding air temperature, while on the same hot day, a heat-absorbing black roof may be as much as 70 degrees hotter. Rooftop HVAC units on a dark roof will have to work much harder – and use more electricity – to cool the very hot air above the surface before sending it into the building.
For buildings that are not air-conditioned, such as some agricultural facilities, warehouses and similar structures, reflective roofing systems can create a cooler environment for workers, enabling them to be more productive.
Another benefit of a cool roof is extending the life of the roofing system itself. That’s because it doesn’t experience as much thermal stress as a dark roof. Also, it’s been shown that reflective roofing systems help preserve the long-term effectiveness of the insulation underneath the roofing membrane by reflecting harmful solar radiation.
There’s a misconception in Michigan and other northern areas of the US that summertime energy cost savings from a cool roof will be offset by a heating “penalty” in the winter; meaning that a facility with a white roof won’t absorb solar heat in the winter like a black roof would, theoretically reducing heating costs.
However, several factors minimize any possible wintertime heating benefits from black roof systems. In winter, there are far fewer hours of sunlight available, plus the sun’s angle is less direct than in the summer, also lessening the potential for warming. And don’t forget: in the winter, your roof is likely to be covered by snow for much of the season, further reducing the amount of sun the roof surface gets.
If your roof is 15 years old or more, chances are you’ll need to replace it soon. When you’re ready, Versatile would welcome the opportunity to propose a new cool roofing system with you. You’ll get a watertight roof that will last for years to come, along with energy savings and additional “cool roofing” benefits. Whatever your commercial roofing need is: replacement, repair or a roof for new construction, call on Versatile Flat Roofing to do the job right.
