How to Select Cool Roofs

Course Summary:

Cool roofs can help many building owners save money while protecting the environment. This guidebook has been created to help you understand how cool roofs work, what kinds of cool roof options are available, and how to determine if cool roofing is appropriate for your building. If you are planning a new building or replacing or restoring an existing roof, cool roofs should be considered as an energy efficiency option. Cool roof products exist for virtually every kind of roof. Just as wearing light-colored clothing can help keep a person cool on a sunny day, cool roofs use solar-reflective surfaces to maintain lower roof temperatures. Traditional dark roofs can reach temperatures of 150ºF (66ºC) or more in the summer sun. A cool roof under the same conditions could stay more than 50°F (28ºC) cooler.

Learning Objective:

By the end of this course the student learns how the cool roof:

• Reduce energy bills by decreasing air conditioning needs,
• Improve indoor thermal comfort for spaces that are not air conditioned, and
• Decrease roof operating temperature, which may extend roof service life.

Cool roofs also benefits environments:

• Reduce local air temperatures, which improves air quality and slows smog formation.
• Reduce peak electric power demand, which can help prevent power outages.
• Reduce power plant emissions, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and mercury, by reducing cooling energy use in buildings; and
• Reduce heat trapped in the atmosphere by reflecting more sunlight back into space, which can slow climate change.

Review the quiz before studying the course.

Course Content

Course Author: Franco. Davati, P.E.