Four Ways to Make Your Commercial Roof Energy-Efficient

With a large amount of energy needed to cool and heat an entire commercial building round-the-clock, business owners and property managers often face an incredibly high electricity bill every month.

To help you save on costs, WaterTight Roofing suggests making your commercial roof more energy-efficient.

Invest in Cool Roof Coating

Standard roofs reach 150°F during the summer, and this means more work for your cooling system. In contrast, a roof made of cooler materials could be 50°F cooler under the same conditions. If your roof is built to be cool, you reduce your cooling load.

One fool-proof way to make your roof cooler is to invest in a cool roof coating. These are either white or special, reflective pigments that reflect the sunlight instead of absorbing them. Cool roof coatings come in two forms:

• Cementitious coatings that consist of concrete and ceramic particles dissolved in acrylic paint
• Elastomeric coatings that have additional polymers that make the coating more resilient and water-resistant

These coatings also block UV rays, prevent chemical damage, and provide a level of protection from water damage. Apart from keeping electricity bills to a minimum, cool roof coatings also extend the life of your roof.

Go with a Light-Colored Roof

If you’d rather not invest in the reflective coating, consider painting the roof in a lighter color. A light-colored roof is more energy-efficient than its dark-colored counterparts because of the Albedo Effect; lighter colors reflect more light — and by extension, heat — compared to dark colors.

A study by energy provider Florida Power and Light reveals that white shingle roofs reflect up to 34% of heat associated with sunlight, while gray roofs reflect only 8%.

Take it a step further by choosing a metal roof. Metal roofing offers high solar reflectance compared to other roofing materials. If you have a white metal roof, you have one of the most energy-efficient material-and-color combinations.

Upgrade Your Insulation

The EPA estimates that an average home can save around 15% on heating and cooling costs if they improve insulation in various parts of the house. It follows, too, that the most energy-efficient commercial roofs are those supported with proper insulation.

Proper attic and roof deck insulation keep excess heat out of the building during warm months, reducing your cooling load. In the same vein, they keep heat inside the building during winter, reducing your heating load.

Whichever way you look at it, insulation is critical in keeping energy costs down.

Add Skylights

Skylights are a great way to increase energy efficiency, as well as improve the building’s aesthetics.

Unlike the previous methods that keep heat out of the building, skylights promote energy efficiency differently. They flood the space with natural light, which decreases your dependence on electric lights and reduces your electricity costs. And because you use less electric light, the building lighting generates less heat, further decreasing your cooling load.

In the cold months, skylights help keep the building warm by letting in natural light.

Above all, choose a contractor that can install, paint, and coat roofing systems properly to maximize the benefits they give.

WaterTight Roofing has earned a reputation for delivering fast, energy-efficient roofing systems for commercial spaces. Contact us today for a free commercial roof assessment.