Are you aware of the impact of an energy-efficient roofing material on your home’s energy consumption? If you aren’t, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Many homeowners do not know this; we are here to change that.
A suitable roofing material helps keep your home comfortable and cool during hot summers. It will help you save about 7 to 11% on energy costs. It is vital to be informed before making roof decisions, and this article will leave you more informed about roofing materials with the most energy efficiency and how you can utilize them.
What Makes a Roofing Material Energy-Efficient?
A couple of features influence a roofing material’s energy efficiency. They include the type of material, its thermal mass, coating, and color. In addition to these features, your attic and roof design, especially the ventilation and insulation systems, can have as much influence.
You should know the following about energy efficiency:
Adequate Roofing Insulation and Attic Ventilation
Older homes tend to feel more draughty than more recent ones because of certain factors. The building techniques are improved, and energy-efficient windows and doors are implemented, isolating them from external activities. Although this improves your home’s energy efficiency, it can cause condensation buildup in your attic, causing water damage.
The lack of natural escape of dampness from your home will lead to it passing through your attic as hot air acclivities. Hence, there is a need to insulate and ventilate your attic adequately. When you install your insulation tightly and there is an adequate flow of air from your roof, you can keep your home energy-efficient and free from water damage.
Solar Reflectance Index (SRI)
The material and design of your roof affect your home’s solar reflectance index (SRI). It is represented in the percentage of sunlight your roof reflects. As your SRI increases, your home’s energy efficiency also increases. It is the most relevant determining factor for how much your roof gets hot.
How Energy-Efficient Roofs Save Your Wallet and the Planet
Did you know that your roof can save your wallet and the environment aside from protecting your home and property? Yes, it can if it is energy-efficient. Energy-efficient roofs are easy to install and do not necessarily cost more than traditional ones. Even if they do, they are not usually significant compared to how much money they will save you ultimately from energy costs.
Additionally, energy-efficient roofs are environmentally friendly. They are called cool roofs and can reduce your use of air conditioning by reflecting sunlight in the opposite direction of your home. When this happens, it lowers the emissions of CO2 and energy consumption, which is beneficial to the environment.
An energy-efficient roof helps to keep external air from getting hot, lowering the urban heat island effect and eliminating the presence of smog caused by outdoor pollution.
These benefits have made energy-efficient roofs popular in the US, making them a go-to roofing option.
Top 4 Energy Efficient Roofing Materials
Metal Roofing
Metal roofing is the top energy-efficient material for residential buildings after solar roofing shingles. It is, in fact, one of the best roofing decisions to make and can last for as long as 40 to 70 years. It requires minimal maintenance. Depending on the type of metal, the average cost of a metal roof is between $5,000 and $50,000.
Unlike other materials, metal roofing stores heat differently because of its low thermal mass. They can save you a lot on cooling bills in superheated summers. When installing your metal roof, it is crucial to ensure air space between the metal roof and your roof deck for its energy efficiency. This space obstructs conduction, preventing heat transfer to your attic. Metal roofs have a high SRI because they are highly reflective. You can cover them with specific coatings to improve their energy-efficiency rating.
Solar Roof Shingles
Solar roofing shingles are not a traditional roofing choice. They have a lifespan of about 25 to 30 years and can cost you between $30,000 and $60,000. Despite being a financially intensive project, they are an excellent investment, saving you lots of money in the long run.
Beyond being energy efficient, solar shingles create energy. They are similar to a solar panel. However, they are the neater, more aesthetic version. Solar panel is the perfect blend of a regular roof and a solar panel.
Tile Roofing
Tile roofs are another type of energy-efficient material. However, there’s a downside to them. They have a thermal mass superior to other roofing materials, meaning tile roofs can soak in heat from the sun and hold it in for a long period.
Tile roofs can be made from clay, slate, or concrete and usually have a lifespan of 50 to 100 years. The average cost of a tile roof is between $30,000 and $51,000. You can improve tile roofs’ reflectivity by pretreating them with reflective coatings even post-installation.
Asphalt Roofing
Talk about the most common residential roofing material, talk about asphalt shingles. In the category of traditional roofs, they are a top heat-absorbent and non-reflective option. They typically last 15 to 30 years, costing between $8,000 and $10,000.
Although they are not typically highly energy efficient, technology has changed that by introducing energy-efficient asphalt roofing materials to the market. In recent times, manufacturers have manufactured asphalt shingles that have solar-reflecting granules that increase their SRI value.
If your choice of roofing material for your project is asphalt, we advise you to request an energy efficient one from your contractor. You know why? Not all asphalt shingles are energy-efficient, except the ones coated with sun-reflecting colored granules. Without these granules, your asphalt shingle may absorb more heat and transfer the heat to your attic and home.
If you already have an asphalt roof and are considering coating it with reflective granules, we hate to break this to you: you can’t. Doing that may void your roof warranty.
Ways to Convert Your Roof to an Energy-Efficient One
Suppose your roof is relatively new or not that old, replacing it won’t seem like a smart idea. But what do you do if your current roof is in great condition and you want to make it energy efficient? You’ll find out shortly.
You can make your current roof more energy-efficient by doing one of the following:
Installing Solar Panels
You can improve your roof’s efficiency without replacing it by installing a solar roof panel. It is a decision that will reduce your energy consumption and save you a lot of money on energy bills. Over the last couple of years, solar panels have become more prevalent, and that doesn’t come as a surprise.
Usually, solar panels last up to 25 years and more. However, we do not recommend installing them on an old roof nearing the end of its lifespan. Hence, we recommend roofing materials like steel and aluminum, which are long-lasting. More long-lasting materials like clay, concrete, and metal roofs have an even longer lifespan than solar panels and can outlast them.
Coating Your Roof
Using a reflective coat on your roof efficiently improves your existing roof’s energy efficiency. Such coatings are made with colors that reflect sunlight. However, if your roof is made of asphalt, this approach won’t work for you as they apply to asphalt.
A good number of metal roofs come already coated with cool colors, and even the dark-colored ones have reflective granules in their coat that make them energy efficient.
Benefits of Energy-Efficient Roofs
- Minimize costs of maintenance
- Improve the value of your property and its resale value
- Extend the lifespan of your roof and that of your HVAC system
- Improve the comfortability of your home, including indoor spaces like covered patios and garages that have no air conditioning
- Reduce peak demand for electricity, preventing cases of power outage
- Reduce power plant emissions, making them safe for the environment
Conclusion
Energy-efficient roofs are stealing the show in the roofing industry as they have gradually become the standard. They are cost-effective and friendly to the environment, among other benefits.
So before choosing a new roof for your project, you might want to consider an energy effective option. Better still, consult an expert roofing consultant for guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a difference between an energy-efficient roof and a cool roof?
A cool roof is a roof manufactured to reflect more sunlight than a traditional roof, absorbing less heat from the sun. So, all energy-efficient roofs are cool roofs.
What type of roof absorbs the most heat?
Asphalt shingles absorb more heat than reflective materials like metal and clay tiles. Additionally, shingles with dark colors absorb more heat than light-colored ones.
Which roof is best for a hot climate?
The best roofing material for a hot climate is metal roofing. It is ideal because it holds up well under harsh temperatures. Metal is a “cool roof” because of its highly reflective properties. Using reflective paints to coat them can make them even more reflective, improving your roof’s energy efficiency.
