20 Cool Roof Resources from the CRRC and Other Sources

Here is a compilation of resources for anyone interested in installing a cool roof. As reviewed in previous posts, cool roofs provide many benefits and cost savings can be measured with a couple of excellent tools. Below you will find a list of resources from the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) and several other sources. The CRRC is an independent, non-profit organization that maintains a third-party rating system for radiative properties of roof surfacing materials. The resources listed below offer everything you need to know about cool roofs including guidelines and information related to materials. For more detailed information on other aspects of green building and construction see the "Related Posts' section at the bottom of this post. It contains a wealth of information spanning the gamut from natural lighting to ventilation.

Cool Roofs Savings Calculators

A cool roof is a way of reducing the costs associated with air conditioning and this reduces energy usage which in turn reduces emissions. Estimates for cost savings associated with cool roofs run between 10 and 25 percent. There are a number of tools to help people evaluate the cost savings resulting from the installation of cools roofs. Below you will find two such tools, one from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory deals and the other developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Three Types of Cool Roofs

Cool roofs fall into one of three categories: roofs made from inherently cool roofing materials, roofs made of materials that have been coated with a solar reflective coating, or green planted roofs. While green roofs are in many ways the best, they are also the most difficult to construct and maintain. Inherently cool roofs like vinyl are relatively easy to install, while the easiest and in this respect the best cool roof is a coated roof.

The Benefits of Cool Roofs

Cool roofs offer energy savings and global warming mitigation. In its simplest essence, Cool roofs offer high solar reflectance. This is achieved primarily by reflecting the visible, infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths of the sun, which in turn reduces heat transfer to the building. Cool roofs are also are high in thermal emittance (the ability to radiate absorbed, or non-reflected solar energy).  Cool roofs can reportedly save up to 15% off the annual air-conditioning energy use in a single-story building.

Most of the sunlight that falls on a white roof much of is reflected and passes back into space. But when sunlight falls on a dark roof most of it is absorbed and converted into much longer wavelengths which we know as heat. The atmosphere is transparent to sunlight but opaque to heat, which is why white roofs help cool the planet and dark roofs warm the planet.