More Cool Roof Buzz

Phoenix, AZ Mayor Greg Stanton recently led the kick off for the Phoenix Cool Roofs initiative. He and 25 other volunteers helped paint the roof of the Adam Diaz Senior Center, coating the roof with substance that reflects heat and helps keep the inside of the building cool.

Stanton said it is just one way that Phoenix is striving to become more sustainable. Since 2006, Phoenix has coated some 30 city buildings with this reflective paint. According to an article in The Republic, the 1,500 city buildings and 600 recreation centers are responsible for nearly half of all the greenhouse gas emissions in Phoenix.

Another article by Weatherproofing Advisors, Ltd. recently recommended that if all roofs worldwide would be painted white, this change could have the equivalent impact on the climate to that of taking all the world’s cars off the road for 50 years.

The controversy continues over whether or not reflective roofs can actually help with global warming. Some studies suggested the answer was yes, while other studies, including one at Stanford University suggests it may actually exacerbate climate change by contributing more heat to the atmosphere and absorbing more emissions.

Of course, painting roofs white isn’t the only option. There are plenty of high-tech reflective roofing materials that come in all colors that effectively reflect infrared light.

White or reflective roofs are typically much more effective in cities with warm climates, like Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. However, studies suggest that in cool climates, like Vancouver or Toronto and Buffalo, the issue is less straightforward. While white roofs may shave electric bills in hot summer months, they may actually increase winter heating bills.

For property owners in the warmer southwestern climates, however, there's no doubt that reflective roofing is effective throughout the year and can help save as much as 20% or more in heating and energy costs.