Energy Efficient "Green" Roofing

Stevens recognizes the benefits in Energy Star® certified roofs to both the building owner and environment.

Since reflective Energy Star-labeled roof products can reduce the amount of air conditioning needed to cool buildings, the EPA asserts energy bills can be reduced by up to 50%. Reflective roofs can also reduce peak cooling demand by 10% to 15%, enabling building owners to buy smaller, less expensive HVAC systems, say EPA representatives.

Exactly how much money can be saved depends on the geographic location and climate, existing insulation levels in the building, the type of roof being replaced, the type of roof installed, and how well the roof is kept clean and maintained. The EPA says buildings that will save the most money have the following characteristics: high air-conditioning bills, a large roof surface as compared to the building's overall size, lower levels of insulation, and/or location in a hot, sunny climate.

To be considered an Energy Star Roof, membranes must meet the following requirements:  

Energy Star Eligibility Criteria

To help building owners, managers, specifiers and roofing contractors calculate the potential energy savings that they can achieve by installing a reflective roofing system, the EPA has recently released a web-based Roofing Calculator.

The calculator is based on a series of building simulations run by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories using the DOE2 model.  Several building types were simulated for different climates, and the calculator takes a variety of factors into consideration such as the building's age, the furnace's efficiency, the SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) of the buildings' AC equipment, as well as a variety of roof details.  The end result is a calculation for cooling savings, additional heating costs, and net savings per 1,000 feet of roof and for the total building.

Click HERE to visit the EPA Energy Star Roofing Calculator.