How to Increase the Energy Efficiency of Your Commercial Roof

Energy efficiency can be a substantial cost-saving mechanism for commercial property owners, especially with the direction gas and oil prices are headed in the near future. Building owners can lower their utility costs and receive valuable rebates by making modifications to their commercial properties in a variety of ways, one of which can be done by renovating or replacing the roof on a building. 

Looking for ways to make your commercial roofing system more energy efficient? There are a few things you can do to save some money on your building’s energy costs. 

Choose Energy Efficient Roofing Materials

There are many types of commercial roofing options. Some might be a viable choice for your building, but there is generally an energy efficient choice no matter what type of building you own. 

If you have a building with a flat roofing system, choose energy efficient materials like EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) rubber or spray polyurethane foam. 

If you have a sloped roof, one of the best materials for energy efficiency is metal roofing. Metal roofing systems can help reflect solar energy, naturally cooling your building during the summer months. 

Coatings

Regardless of the type of materials you choose, you can increase the energy efficiency using certain types of coatings. The simplest is white paint. Changing the color of your roofing system to white can reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the materials. There are also material-specific reflective coatings that can be applied to many commercial roofing materials. 

Natural Methods of Cooling

Shade provides a natural way to cool your commercial building, but it’s a long-term investment. Trees planted on the property will eventually mature and block out sunlight. In the meantime, you can invest in a “living rooftop” by placing plants and gardens on top of your flat roofed building. Living roofs are cooled primarily by the evaporation of water from plant surfaces rather than by reflection of sunlight. 

Proper Insulation and Ventilation

Regardless of what you do on top of your roof, make sure the insulation and ventilation systems below it are optimized to keep conditioned air in and cold or hot air out. Older roofing systems typically have little to no insulation, so it’s best to consider a roofing replacement or, at the very least, investing in a renovation that includes adding ample insulation to the rooftop. Some ventilation systems can also be installed during roofing replacement, giving you a completely new energy efficient roofing system. 

 

Looking to “go green” and reduce your energy costs? Contact the commercial roofing experts at Schmidt Roofing today!

 

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
apartment building roof