Study Proves White Thermoplastic Roof Saves Money In a two-year scientific study, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory set out to monitor and verify summertime air conditioning savings and peak electrical demand reduction at a 100,000 square foot retail establishment in Austin, Texas.  Building temperatures and energy usage was monitored for a period of 1 year with the existing black rubber EPDM roof.  The roof was then replaced with a white, reflective Sarnafil roof membrane and the test was run again during the same time of year as the previous test.  Below are the results: Total annual air-conditioning savings were estimated to be $7,200 or 7.2 cents per square foot. This does not include savings from taxes or other utility charges. The estimated saving over the lifetime of the membrane was calculated to be between $62,000 and $71,000 (present value). This was based on an industry average of 13 years for a single-ply roof membrane. Sika Sarnafil roof systems have been proven to last much longer than this, further increasing the store’s savings. Additional savings of thousands of dollars could be achieved if the building owner participates in the state’s load curtailment and/or reflective roof rebate programs. Analyzing the Data Scientists from LBNL’s Heat Island group used advanced collection techniques for recording site-specific weather, temperature and energy consumption data.  The monitored input was gathered over a two-year period in a pre- and post roof retrofit analysis (1999 – 2000). Click on this link to download the report titled,  "Measured Energy Savings and Demand Reduction From a Reflective Roof Membrane on a Large Retail Store in Austin" © 2006 Sika Sarnafil | 100 Dan Road | Canton, MA 02021 | 800-451-2504 | webmaster.sarnafil@us.sika.com Legal Disclaimer