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| Can White Roofs Save The Planet? |
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By Thom Gottberg (6/10/09) That is likely why Dr. Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary & Nobel laureate in physics, recently stated that the Obama administration wants to paint roofs an energy-reflecting white after he took part in a climate change symposium in London. He went on to say that while there is no silver bullet for tackling climate change, a range of measures should be introduced. One of those includes painting flat roofs white. Another study by Akbari, Menon and Rosenfeld for the “Journal of Climate Change” estimated that permanently retrofitting urban roofs and pavements in the tropical and temperate regions of the world with solar reflective materials would offset 44 billion tons of emitted CO2. What does that really mean? Perhaps an easier way to understand what a one-time offset of 44 billion tons of emitted CO2 actually means, is to compare it to what the average car emits. The average car emits about 4 tons of CO2 per year; therefore, this example is equivalent to taking the world’s  approximately 600 million cars off the road for 18 years.For most of us living here in the Coachella Valley, the cost of air-conditioning our homes and businesses is more of a concern than worrying about our CO2 footprint. That’s why one of the biggest reasons to embrace the idea of changing out our dark colored roofs for white reflective material would be for the energy cost savings alone. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) published the following: “Reflective roof products can reduce the amount of air-conditioning needed to cool…buildings by minimizing the amount of heat entering them from the sun, thereby reducing energy bills by up to 50%. In fact, reflective roofs can lower roof surface temperature by up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.” Now that information should interest desert residents! Another argument for painting our roofs a reflective white is to combat the Heat Island Effect. Heat Island Effect can be responsible for up to 10% of peak electricity demand, cause higher temperatures, higher air pollution levels and respiratory difficulties. Heat Island Effect is usually a larger concern in more populated urban areas, however we are starting to experience it here in the Coachella Valley as our population grows. Ever notice how much hotter it is standing on a shopping center parking lot? In the summer, that temperature can easily be over 30 degrees higher than the reported air temperature. Have you noticed how many new shopping centers we now have? I think there are probably enough drug store parking lots alone to cause a significant Heat Island Effect here in Coachella Valley.  If you are considering a new roof on your property, you might want to check your options to see if you are a candidate for installing a white reflectant cool roof. If you are a commercial property owner, I can assure you this is a cost-effective way to go because you will not only be experiencing energy savings and cut CO2 emissions, but the new foam cool roofs experience much less problems with leaking. The accompanying photo is of a new reflective foam roof on a 14,400 square foot office/warehouse used on a building in Palm Desert. The property owners were impressed at how much cooler the interior was immediately after application.To learn more about the benefits and specifics for reflective and cool roofs, I would recommend that you check out the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC). The CRRC (www.coolroofs.org) is an independent, non-profit organization that maintains a third-party rating system for radiative properties of roof surfacing materials.
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