Usually our buildings’ roofs are dark colored and manufactured from materials such as metal, such as aluminium, wood or ceramic. However, recent discoveries indicate that the color of your roof plays more into your energy spending than you may think.
Studies show that white roofs reduce air-conditioning costs by 20 percent or more in hot, sunny weather. Lower energy consumption also means fewer of the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. What’s more, a white roof can cost as little as 15 percent more than its dark counterpart, depending on the materials used, while slashing electricity bills. [NY Times]
Art Rosenfeld, a member of the California Energy Commission, has been a proponent of lighter, cooler roofs since 1980. But the issue of white roofs rocketed to public attention last week, when Nobel laureate and Energy Secretary Steven Chu advocated it on Jon Stewart’s “Daily Show” on Comedy Central.
The idea behind the white roof is common sense science: dark colors absorb the sun’s energy more intensely than does white, which reflects it. It’s little wonder that white roofs can bring many energy savings. Some find the idea too simple and dismiss the idea as not very innovative. Getting an entire nation to change the color of their roofs is also not very practical. However, in the previously mentioned studies, subtle adjustments can often result in not-so-subtle changes.
Even if white roofs will cost you more than usual roofs, the costs are not that high. You will have to pay 15% more than with the usual roof and usually the advantages that come from choosing them will outweigh the price:
- Less energy consumption that leads to fewer costs in time
- Fewer carbon dioxide emission that leads to safer environment
- You are less likely to walk into a stifling hot wall of air because your house heated up while you were away.
If you plan to go for white roofs as well, you should also consider the material the roof is made of. Steven Chu recommends plasticized roofs but other elements could be as efficient as this one. Any material that helps in reflecting solar beams, such as albedo, will improve the efficiency of white paint.
But with all good things comes a measure of caution. When you make the decision of changing your roof, think about how much time does hot season last in your area. If you live in a colder region, then you should think twice before going for a white roof, because in your area, the cold is the energy problem, not the heat. Instead, choose darker roof as you will save more on heating in the winter than you would save on cooling in the summer.
We don’t decide to replace rooftops every day. But when you do, keep this in mind. Seriously consider the climate in your area before deciding on the color of your roof.
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