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Study: White/Tile/Metal Roofs Cut Energy Costs by 77%
According to an article in The Florida Times Union in Jacksonville, a recent study by Florida Power and Light shows that a gray roof will reflect 8 percent of the heat associated with sunlight. Meanwhile, white shingle roofs will reflect up to 34 percent, and metal and cement tile roofs can reflect up to 77 percent.
According to the article, a white roof equates to a $130 annual savings in electrical usage for an 1,800-square-foot home. They cost up to 10 percent more than a standard color roof, but homeowners can get a federal tax break for 30 percent of the cost (max. $1,500).
The drawbacks: they are ugly and they need to be cleaned. There have also been issues regarding the potential toxicity of certain paints with all the water runoff.
The article quotes a Florida contractor who says he has not installed a white roof in two years. So the market is wide open for you!
Just in case, you might want to put a bucket of white paint and a roller in every technician’s truck.
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9 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
130 bucks a year in savings is a 77% reduction in energy costs? WOW, total normal energy bills of less than $200 a year is a standard WHERE?
This will only work for areas where most of the energy is spent on cooling.
In areas where you are actually heating the place most of the time, you’d want to benefit from the natural heat.
As Julie points out in her comment, seasonality plays a role too in many areas.
Otto
I think it’s all propaganda from the white-paint manufacturers
Now, what Julie and I need (I live near the Arctic Circle) are motorized shingles that flip flop between alternate black and white sides like those mechanized billboards you used to see.
A really savvy programmer could even set it up so that you could play Uno with your roof and a touch panel.
Lee, Great idea! Let’s play Othello!
And, since I have a flat roof, I can send messages to the hot air balloons that soar above the house.
I’d also like an SOS macro in case my husband gets unruly.
Lollerskates @ the SOS macro. That’s actually a really good idea.
White clat tiles have been around for years in Florida and cost just the same as any other color and require very little maintainence.
so wait… put paint and a bucket in every techs truck??? Isnt this the same publication that slammed “trunk slammers” only two years ago…now you want us to paint??
I can say with certainty that this research is flawed. We have a flat roof on our Minnesota home. Nature paints it white all winter.