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The EnergySmart Roof® Cool Colors Saves Money and Energy
Did you know that national, independent testing has shown that Sika Sarnafil’s EnergySmart Roof® Cool Color Family can reduce energy consumption, abate urban heat and help slow the reaction of smog forming pollutants?
Sika Sarnafil’s EnergySmart Roof® system includes a white, tan, light grey or patina green highly reflective, lacquer coated surface that has been proven to reduce the amount of energy required to maintain comfort in an air-conditioned building by decreasing heat flow through the building envelope. A “cool roof” such as Sika Sarnafil’s, can save money, improve occupant comfort, increase a roof’s longevity, and reliably protect a building and its contents.
Sika Sarnafil was the first single-ply membrane manufacturer to label roofing products under the EPA’s Energy Star Roof Products program. The program is a voluntary partnership between the EPA and a select group of roof product manufacturers. The focus of the program is to promote the environmental and economic benefits of reflective roofing. As a Charter Partner of the program, Sika Sarnafil’s EnergySmart Roof® cool color family has gained much attention in the media and with well-known research institutes.
NASA Investigates the Heat Island Effect
In July, 1998, two NASA scientists, Dr. Jeff Luvall and Dr. Dale Quattrochi conducted research to see if they could identify surfaces that exacerbate oppressive urban air temperatures and accelerate the formation of smog. The NASA team used a specially equipped airplane to record photographic and thermal infrared images in order to detect all the “hot spots” in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The photos above are of the RC Willey building. This 865,000 square foot roof utilizes a Sarnafil white reflective roof membrane. The green color of the building in the thermal image proves it is absorbing less solar radiation than the surrounding structures shown in red.
The physical and reflective properties of the roofing membrane on the RC Willey building illustrate the specific cooling impact that reflective roofs can have in reducing air temperatures within “urban heat islands.“ The air temperature in a heat island is typically 5 to 10 degrees (F) warmer than in surrounding rural areas. Higher temperatures foster an increase in energy demand to run air-conditioning equipment. Consequently, a rise in energy demand leads to a corresponding increase in power-plant generation. Studies have shown that the urban heat island effect costs the United States in excess of $2 billion a year and represents five to 10 percent of the peak electric demand across the country (“Urban Heat Islands and the Roofing Industry,” RSI magazine, 1998).
The Department of Energy has developed an energy savings calculator for projecting the potential savings associated with installing a cool roof instead of a black one, such as an EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) or traditional asphalt roof. Go to the Energy Calculator to see how much energy your building can save.
Learn More
Study Proves White Thermoplastic Roof Saves Money
Read more about the NASA research RC Wiley Distribution Center in our two-page Project Profile
Learn more about Sarnafil’s EnergySmart Roof® by viewing our comprehensive brochure (six pages).
To learn about how EnergyStar, Title 24, Green Globes and LEED define a "Cool Roof" and how Sika Sarnafil's EnergySmart Cool Color Family meets and/or exceeds these requirements, click here.
"Benefits of Cool Roofs on Commercial Buildings" appeared in the July 2009 issue of RCI Interface. The article discusses the energy and carbon savings associated with reflective roofs, considers the CO2 generated to manufacture reflective roofing systems, and introduces the concept of a measurable "return" on environmental investment. For reflective roofs in the U.S., this time period for CO2 "payback" averages just 1.7 years. To view the article, click here.
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