A reflective roof coating system is intended to reflect a majority of the sun’s heat away from the building, while only absorbing a very small percentage. In some cases, these coatings can reflect as much as 92% of the heat and absorb as little as 8% (both the AcryShield Ultra High Reflectance A590 and A179 can do just that!). Reflecting the bulk of the sun’s heat allows the roof temperature and the inside of the building to remain much cooler throughout a hot sunny day. When we installed our AcryPly Roof Restoration System on Harbor Freight’s 266,200 square foot building, Facilities Director, Jerry Moore noted, "After the National Coatings' Cool Roof was installed we definitely noticed a difference in building temperature. It's not a marginal difference, either. It is between 15-20 degrees cooler inside the warehouse and store." (To read more about this case study, click here.)
A reflective roof coating system or “cool roof system” is beneficial to building occupants because they reduce energy costs by decreasing air conditioning usage, these systems improve employee comfort, especially in warehousing and other area’s that are not usually air conditioned, and the reflective capabilities deliver additional protection to your roof top, extending the lifespan of your roof. Building owners and tenants know how expensive energy costs can be, with a roofing system that can lower your indoor ambient air temperature by 15-20 degrees, you can reduce your energy cooling cost by 20% or more. Another long-term cost savings benefit is the ability to protecting your roof from premature aging. These reflective coatings protect your roof from the leading cause of roof failures – the sun’s heat. The sun’s heat causes a rooftop to lose its ability to remain flexible during temperature fluctuations, this causes the surface to dry out, split, crack and eventually leak.
These cool roof systems do not cost more than other traditional roofing options, in fact, they are generally less expensive to install, maintain and renew. A reflective roof coating system can be installed directly over your existing roof, avoiding any costly roof tear-off or replacement. Tear-off projects can cost you up to 50-70% more money than a reflective roof coating system would cost. These roof coating systems are also renewable, allowing you to maintain and restore your roof every 10 or so years, avoiding a tear-off indefinitely. (Read: Life Cycle Cost Analysis for further information on life cycle cost savings)
Cool roofing systems may also provide saving through rebates and incentives. You can check out DSIREUSA.ORG, a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Lastly, National Coatings has a Roof Energy Savings Tool called R.E.S.T. which is an innovative modeling tool developed by us to help building owners and facility professionals evaluate various roofing systems in terms of their impact on building energy use. Energy use and cost results from R.E.S.T. can be coupled with other cost data in a comprehensive and financially rigorous Roof Life-Cycle Cost Model. This R.E.A.P. (Roof Energy & Asset Performance) Analysis provides building professionals with today's dollars cost comparisons between roof options being evaluated.
If you are interested in receiving a comprehensive R.E.S.T. analysis, contact us today! For more information on Cool Roofing, download our Cool Roof Buyer’s Guide!
