A dark roof can hit 180°F in the summer sun. A cool white roof stays near 100°F, and the difference shows up on your utility bill every month.
The System
A cool roof is a highly reflective roof surface engineered to reject the sun’s heat instead of absorbing it. During the warmest weather, cool roofs lower roof surface temperatures by up to 40% and dramatically reduce the amount of heat transferred into the building’s interior.
Less heat entering the building means less energy spent cooling it. Using less energy saves money every month, and it reduces the pollutants released into the atmosphere, which is why cool roofing is recognized by the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program and the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC).
Every roofing system we install, coatings, fabric-reinforced, metal restoration, single-ply membrane, and spray foam, is available as a high-reflectivity cool roof coating.
That 80-degree difference is the heat that would otherwise be radiating down into your building and forcing your HVAC system to fight back, at your expense. In independent field demonstrations, buildings recoated with reflective white roof systems have averaged cooling-energy reductions of roughly 25%, with individual buildings saving anywhere from the low teens to nearly 50%.
Air conditioning savings of up to 30%
Cooler air around rooftop HVAC units, so they run more efficiently
A more comfortable workspace under the roof deck
Longer roof life, reflecting UV slows the aging and chemical breakdown of the roof itself
Reduced thermal shock: fewer extreme temperature swings, less expansion and contraction, fewer stress failures
In Detail
It doesn’t have to be hot for a cool roof system to cut energy costs. Our spray foam and single-ply membrane systems include a layer of insulation that lowers heating costs in the winter, while the white reflective surface handles the summer. The result is a roof that’s energy-efficient all year round.
There may be money on the table, too: federal, state, and local tax rebates, credits, and utility incentives are often available for energy-efficient roofing. Check with your local utility company and tax advisor, we’ll provide the system documentation you need.
In Detail
Our cool roof surfaces are engineered to resist dirt and discoloration, which is what preserves reflectivity, and savings, over time. An annual or bi-annual cleaning is all that’s needed to maintain peak performance. Our systems meet stringent industry standards for both reflectivity and emissivity, with top systems rated at reflectivity values up to 85–89%.
Questions
A free evaluation gives you photographs, a condition report and firm numbers, with no obligation either way.
Talk to James directly
Yes. Summer cooling savings typically outweigh any winter heating penalty, and systems installed with insulation improve winter performance too. The net result across the year favors the cool roof in nearly every U.S. climate.
It depends on your building’s size, insulation, HVAC efficiency, and how you use the space. Documented field results average around 25% cooling-energy savings. We can estimate the impact for your building during your free evaluation.
In most cases, yes, a reflective coating or restoration system converts an existing dark roof to a cool roof without replacement. That’s usually the fastest payback in commercial roofing.
Reflectivity is the share of solar energy the roof bounces back. Emissivity is how readily it releases absorbed heat. The Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) combines both into one score: standard black is 0, standard white is 100, and the best cool roofs exceed 100.
