The quest to cut operating costs is endless. As business and property owners, profit depends on outside sales as much as efficiency under our own roofs. And, thanks to a recent white paper released by The Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA), businesses can quickly calculate peak energy savings and explore practical ways to cut energy costs.
According to the detailed report entitled, Cutting Electrical Demand with Reflective Roof Coatings and developed in collaboration with Jim Hoff, TEGNOS Research Inc., reflective roofs can help businesses save energy, cut costs, and protect the environment.
“If you look at the electrical demand of a business during peak hours, that’s where the cost spikes are and where reduction needs to start,” says Mike Korol, Accella Sales Director, Roofing, North America. “The reason this paper is so important is it simplifies mathematically how to estimate peak energy in your bill and factor in the science and savings of a reflective roof coating. It’s a great resource for businesses looking to reduce operating costs.”
Reflect vs. Absorb
So what’s the big deal with reflective roof coatings? Can a reflective elastomeric coating really save a business or commercial complex that much money? Simply put — yes. In fact, the white paper claims the average cost per business when coupled with a reflective roof, can average $1,000 annually.
Reflective roof coatings, also called cool roofs, act as a barrier between a roof and the elements — it reflects the majority of solar heat and directs it away from the building. By contrast, a Non-reflective roof absorbs the majority of the solar heat into a structure.
A reflective roof can lower a roof’s surface temperature, which in turn, decreases your businesses (or home’s) interior temperature by an average of seven to 10 degrees.
A Reflective Roof Coating:
- Increases roof longevity
- Lowers maintenance expenses
- Reduces operational costs
- Is reliable, safe, and secure
- Reflects damaging ultraviolet and infrared sunlight
- Waterproofs roof surface
- Is fade resistance; boosts aesthetics
- Adds to environmental health of a community
The RCMA white paper includes a step-by-step review of all aspects of peak demand including how to identify 
peak demand charges on a typical commercial electric bill, how to estimate cost potential savings using the Cool Roof Peak Calculator, and how to achieve other benefits associated with reducing peak energy demand.
“Sometimes it’s the little things such as operating costs in a business that impact opportunity for growth elsewhere,” says Korol. “Energy costs is just one of those little things. But what if you could cut those costs significantly? The savings over a month, a year, a decade could be substantial.”
According to the Department of Energy, cool roofs offer other communal benefits. Beyond the building itself, cool roofs can also benefit the environment, especially when many buildings in a community have them.
Cool Roofs:
- Reduce local air temperatures (sometimes referred to as the urban heat island effect)
- Lower peak electricity demand, which can help prevent power outages.
- Reduce power plant emissions, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and mercury, by reducing cooling energy use in buildings.
The RCMA paper calls out seven sample regions that vary in climate and reveals that peak energy demand reduction drives savings over base use estimates (see right). In summary: The total value of base plus peak energy savings offered by reflective roof systems is sizable, averaging more than 1,000 annually in most climate zones for a typical commercial building.
Our thanks go out to the RCMA for the research invested in this industry resource.
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If your roof is in poor condition or near the end of its life cycle, it may be time for a roofing solution that makes financial and environmental sense. Contact Accella today for a free roof estimate. We will help you decide which roofing material and coating is the best for your commercial facility or office complex.