When a roofing system is energy efficient, it reflects more light than it absorbs. This is exactly why metal is so energy efficient, compared with other roofing materials like asphalt, which absorbs sunlight and traps heat. This, in turn, makes your home warmer, which can be more costly to cool down in the summer with AC.
Energy efficient or “cool” roofs are able to stay about 50 degrees cooler than standard roofs, says Energy.gov. A standard roof will get up to 150 degrees, whereas a metal roof only gets up to 100 degrees, reducing the need for excessive air conditioning. Plus, it boosts the overall comfort of your home. Garages and other spaces that you don’t typically cool with AC will stay naturally cool in the summer time, too.
It’s no surprise that your home’s roof bears the brunt of sun exposure throughout the day – no other area of your house gets that much exposure. That’s why the roofing material you choose makes a big difference in regards to energy efficiency. Metal roofs, by design, will reflect heat up and away from your house, saving homeowners up to 40 percent on energy costs.
Evaluating Energy Efficiency
When evaluating the thermal performance, or energy efficiency, of your roof type, there are three areas to consider:
- Emissivity: This is how well your roof can radiate the heat of the sun up and away.
- Reflectivity: This is how well the roof can reflect heat back from where it came.
- Thermal Resistance: This measures the temperature difference by which an object can resist heat flow.
You may not think of metal as a cool material, especially when it’s been sitting in the sun all day. But think of it like the hood of your car. It’s hot when you first get back from a drive, but as soon as you turn off the ignition and park it in the shade, it cools down very quickly. In fact, the metal dissipates heat so fast that the hood will feel cooler than the surrounding air in just a few minutes.
Now, compare that with asphalt pavement that’s been baking in the heat. With enough thermal energy stored up, it can let off steam even after rain sets in. That’s why asphalt isn’t the best choice for a roof, thanks to its poor solar reflectivity and low emissivity, allowing it to reach temperatures of as much as 160 degrees during the daytime. Then, that heat keeps transmitting even after nightfall.
Benefits of Energy Efficient Metal Roofing
Choosing metal for your roof can translate to these benefits. You can:
- Boost your home’s resale value by more than five percent.
- Recoup up to 86 percent of the initial installation cost.
- Enjoy discounts on your insurance premiums.
Contact Revered Roofing in the South Shore
Curious to learn more about the benefits of metal roofing and how you can save on heating and cooling costs with this type of system? Just call our experienced roofers on the South Shore at 781-536-4589. We offer Free Quotes
We serve the entire South Shore and lower Cape with quality roofing products, including Hanson, Taunton, Marshfield, Quincy, Falmouth and Plymouth.
Paul was easy going and a pleasure to deal with. No pressure. Crew got started late but the metal roof with new sky lights over our sun room was done in a day! Quality work. I recommend Revered Metal Roofing.