Many home and business owners in the Venice area are increasingly interested in ways to make their properties greener and more energy efficient.
With intense sun streaming down year-round, a roof can reach 150 degrees or more. This creates heat in the space below, and can make air conditioners work overtime to keep the temperatures at the required level. This can put undue wear and tear on your HVAC, and drive energy costs up. Installing a cool roof is one way to help with these issues.
Installing an energy efficient roof is possible in many ways, from innovations in materials to color choices. If you are thinking of installing a new roof – or retrofitting your current roof – here are some ideas designed to help you go green in style.
- Cooling the Roof: Cool roofs are typically lighter in color, and conserve energy by reflecting light and heat away from the building instead of absorbing them. Studies have shown significant energy and cost savings from simply changing the roof to a lighter color. This works because a dark roof absorbs heat and conducts it downwards into the living or working space. This make the interior temperature increase, and forces the HVAC system to increase output to maintain the pre-set temperature. A cool roof can exhibit temperatures as much as 60 degrees cooler than a more darkly colored roof, minimizing the cooling load on your property, saving energy and lowering utility costs. How to Do It: The easiest method for creating a cool roof is to apply a cool roof coating onto your existing roof. If you are preparing to install a new roof, you can choose shingles or tiles in lighter colors, as well as apply a reflective coating. If your business has a flat roof, ask your roofing contactor about adding fiber-reinforced white PVC membranes.
- Insulating the Area Under the Roof: Insulation may be your first thought when considering how to make your roof more energy efficient. A hot roof is your cooling system’s biggest nemesis. A poorly insulated roof will require more air conditioning year-round in Florida, and will make upper rooms and lofts more difficult to use as a bedroom or study. Conversely, a well-insulated roof will ease the load on your air conditioning and reduce utility bills.
- Adding Solar Panels: Many people choose to add solar panels to their roof in order to capitalize on our year round sunshine. Adding solar panels and attaching the system to the power grid will allow you to not only generate electricity to operate your facility in real time, but to also store energy credit. This means that on rainy days or in the evenings, you can pull from the energy you saved up during long, sunny days. Not only is it energy efficient and green, it may save you money in the long run.
- Install Sustainable Roofing: One of he best ways to go green is to ensure that your newly installed roof won’t end up in the landfill before its time. These days, Venice home and business owners can expect to get 25-35 years out of an asphalt shingle roof, 30-40 years from a clay tile roof, and decades longer from a metal or stone roof. Be sure to work with your professional roofing contractor to choose the best material for your climate and building type – as well as your design style. By treating with sealants or UV coating, conducting regular inspections, and fixing minor issues as you find them – you can guarantee you get the most life out of your roof.Kingdom Roofing provides quality roofing solutions for residential and commercial properties in Venice, North Port and Englewood. We look forward to assisting you with all your roofing needs.
