American commercial buildings consume 35% of the electricity consumed by the whole country. Their carbon dioxide emissions total 826 million metric tons. On top of that, these buildings waste 30% of the energy they use.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways your commercial building can reduce its energy usage. Installing energy efficient roofs is one of them.
You may not, however, know what counts as an energy efficient roof. If so, read on. This article will list and describe some different energy efficient commercial roof types.
Metal Roofs
Metal panels are a very popular choice for commercial roofing materials. They\’re visually pleasing and incredibly sturdy. The lifespans for these roofs can span multiple decades.
Beauty and sturdiness aren\’t the only benefits of having a metal roof, though. Metal is also a very energy efficient roofing choice.
They\’re Reflective
The shiny surfaces of metal roofing panels are highly reflective. When the sun shines down on them, the panels push most of their heat away. As a result, the building below stays cooler.
Since the building is cooler, the occupants won\’t need to turn the air conditioner up very high. As a result, they\’ll use less electricity. Thus, the building owners will pay less in energy bills and the building will reduce its carbon footprint.
They Insulate
Along with keeping hot temperatures out, metal roofs will also keep hot temperatures in. This can be great in the winter. You won\’t need to raise the temperature of your furnace too high.
Once your furnace generates heat, the heat will have a harder time escaping through a metal roof. Thus, your furnace won\’t turn on as often to regulate your building\’s temperature. This will save energy.
Roof Paint
You can add a coat of paint on top of your metal roof. Most building owners will do this to increase the beauty of their buildings.
However, different paints can also act as energy efficient roof materials. How energy efficient they are or aren\’t depends on their specific colors.
How Light Energy Moves
The entire spectrum of visual light has all the colors of the rainbow in it. When any of the colors in this light hit an object, each color gets absorbed or dispersed. What colors get reflected or absorbed depends on the color of the object the light hits.
For example, a red apple will absorb the red in the light spectrum. It also takes in the heat energy of this color. All the other colors will get reflected.
Thus, to get an object to absorb heat, it needs to be as many colors at once. An object we want to reflect heat should have as little color as possible.
Black
When you mix every color in the rainbow mixes together, you eventually get black. Thus, any black objects will absorb all the colors of light in the spectrum. The black object will also absorb heat and get very hot.
So if you want your building to be warm, you need a black roof. Ideally, you should only choose black paint if your area\’s climate is extremely cold and you use the furnace most often. With a hotter building, you\’ll save energy by using the furnace less.
White
White, on the other hand, has none of the colors in the visual light spectrum. Any white objects will reflect all the colors in the visual light spectrum. Along with the colors, the white object will also reflect all of the spectrum\’s heat energy.
So white paint is great when you want your commercial building to stay cool. This is ideal when your commercial building exists in an area that experiences a lot of heat and you use your air conditioning often. You\’ll use the air conditioning less and save energy.
Mix
You likely live in an area that experiences a mix of hot and cool temperatures. If this is the case, you probably want a paint color that\’s somewhere between white and black.
Try researching your local climate. Consider whether you need your cooler or warmer regularly. Remember that lighter colors reflect more heat and darker colors absorb more heat.
Roof Coating
A roof coating is a material that a roofer will add to your roof to protect it. Your roofer will usually spray this material from a spray can. It will then harden and become a hard layer on top of your roof.
Roof coatings work with nearly every kind of roof. However, they\’re often a popular component of an energy efficient flat roof in particular. This is mostly because of one specific ability it has.
Seals the Roof
When a roofer sprays a coating onto a roof, the coating will seep into every crack on the roof. These holes can happen where the roof surface meets a parapet, a vent, etc. Once the coating hardens, it should close the hole completely.
In doing this, the coating won\’t just protect your building from rain, dust, etc. It will also protect it from the cold. Cold air can invade your building through these cracks and hot air can escape.
This will affect how comfortable the temperature in your building feels. The workers will be constantly using the furnace or AC to make it comfortable again. This will waste energy.
A roof coating will help you keep temperatures stable. This should save energy.
We Build Energy Efficient Roofs
Once your commercial building has become more energy efficient, you should benefit. You will have more money that you can use to upgrade your building. The business in your building will also have eco-friendly bragging rights that it can use for marketing purposes.
Beyond that, you\’ll be saving the environment. This realization can grant you a great sense of righteousness.
When you\’re ready, we can be a great help in installing all kinds of energy efficient roofs. For over 25 years, we\’ve provided valuable, unparalleled service and competitive prices to the Green Bay area. Contact us today and ask for a free price quote.
