REFLECTING ENERGY COSTS AND PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
In today’s environmentally sensitive times, everyone must do their part to decrease the risks to Mother Earth. Soprema has developed a complete line of highly reflective, white, cool roof products designed to decrease energy consumption and urban heat island effect.
Naturally, as a building’s internal temperature rises, more and more air conditioning is needed to keep occupants productive and comfortable. A traditional black roof can see surface temperatures rise as much as 90° F during peak hours of the day to a surface temperature of 150-190° F increasing the need for air conditioning and driving utility bills through the roof.
With a highly reflective, white, cool roof, surface temperatures typically rise only 10-25° F during the hottest period of the day. This reduction in heat-gain decreases the demand for electric power by up to 5%, depending on the building’s interior square footage, size and type of HVAC equipment, R-value of insulation and other criteria.
The Heat Island Effect:
The term "heat island" describes built up areas that are hotter than nearby rural areas. The annual mean air temperature of a city with 1 million people or more can be 1.8–5.4°F (1–3°C) warmer than its surroundings. In the evening, the difference can be as high as 22°F (12°C). Heat islands can affect communities by increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness and mortality and water quality.
Excerpt from the United State Environmental Protection Agency’s website at www.epa.gov/hiri.