I've decided to get solar panels on my roof, and these panels last 25-30 years at least. Because it's a huge amount of work (and money) to install panels on the roof, I didn't want to have to do it twice (when replacing the roof in a few years). So I bit the bullet and had the roof replaced.
So how can I get an eco-friendly roof? Well, I live in a very sunny desert and my attic gets to about 135 F during hot sunny days in the summer (I measured it). This, in turn, warms my home. I can mitigate this effect by installing shingles that reflect more of the sunlight. There are now EPA-certified "cool roof" shingles that have a higher albedo (reflectance) so that the house heats up slower during the day. These tiles are a bit more expensive, but my city offers rebates for these types of shingles that basically offsets the increase in costs. I don't really know why they're more expensive, as I think most the increase in albedo is due to being a lighter color.
Another thing I can do is to increase ventilation in my attic. Obviously any ventilation during the day is a good thing as it is much hotter in my attic then it is outside. There was only one vent at the top of my roof for the heat to escape from, and it was way off to the side of the house. I had the roofer install two additional vents distributed evenly across the roof.
And it all worked. The highest temperature my attic reached after the new roof installation was 122 F, and it cooled down much quicker after the sun went down. I suspect the vents have more to do with this than the cool roof shingles. The reflectance of the cool roof shingles only have to be greater than 25%, so not that much. If you want much higher reflectance, like > 40%, you need whitish-grey colors.
Anyway, it looks great. Take a look at the pictures below. The color is pretty light. You can compare to my neighbor's roof.
Next up: Solar power.
Time for a house-cooling party?
ReplyDeleteAnd what, no bureaucratic rant on the city?!
There's been some positive developments in my fight with the city bureaucracy. More on that soon.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteYou made a great choice! Cool roofs really reduce heat in the house and can increase the roof's life cycle at the same time. Anyway, calculating the lowest and highest temperature of your attic is great to consider in looking for a roofing material. It's been months, how's your house and projects so far?
ReplyDeletePenelope Dingee
Hello, Brian! I think you made a good decision in getting cool shingles for your roof. It didn’t only ensure that your roof would be more durable, but it also made your home energy-efficient. Have you already installed the solar panels? I think some homeowners can sell their surplus green energy to electric companies. Is that applicable in your area?
ReplyDelete-Kermit Lukacs
Metal roofs available today are far ahead in quality and performance compared to the roofs available 50-60 years ago. Some of the metal roofs today have a 40-year warranty for the color. Even the metal roofing screws today have a longer life than the ones used in earlier years. Earlier the roofing screws used to develop dry rot around their heads which allowed water to enter the roofing system. Not only did it result in roof leaks, but it also caused extensive damage to the interiors.
ReplyDeleteRoof Repairs Baton Rouge